View this post on Instagram

The psychological thriller also stars Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Lambert Houston (Resurrection Factor), Renata Notni (Zorro), Richie Radichi (My Best Friend’s Dead), and Rufus Dorsey (Ali). Wounds was directed by Ron Krauss, who also produced alongside Ira Houston with Chung Dick, Thomas Carroll, Sam Shen, and Jason Sun serving as executive producers and Marvin Cheng as co-producer. The screenplay was written by Ryan Leeder, Joshua Courtade, and Ron Krauss.

Wounds explores obsession, morality, and the dangerous allure of artistic ambition, examining how creativity can both inspire and consume. Shot entirely on 35mm film, it is described as a love letter to the indie horror genre, in the spirit of auteur directors such as Brian De Palma, David Cronenberg, and John Carpenter.

In the movie, “Caleb Castle (Kilmer) is a horror-obsessed special effects makeup artist struggling to prove himself working at a fading horror studio. With the studio on the verge of collapse, Caleb gets to work on a low budget vampire movie where he meets Ginny Brown (Jackson), a talented fellow makeup artist. Desperate to prove himself, Caleb witnesses a brutal murder which inspires him to use extreme, horrific measures to make his special effects look chillingly realistic.”

Wounds makes its makes its world premiere at Screamfest, when it screens October 8 at the TCL Chinese Theatre.

The post Jack Kilmer and Paris Jackson Are Haunted by Special Effects in Exclusive ‘Wounds’ Trailer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Running October 10-19 at the TCL Chinese Theater, Screamfest welcomes horror cinephiles to experience twisted tales and frightening films together on the big screen. Tickets will be on sale soon and can be purchased via the festival website.

Before we dig into the line-up, Bloody Disgusting is excited that Screamfest will be hosting a very special advance screening of SCREAMBOX’s upcoming 80s-inspired horror comedy Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls ahead of the film’s theatrical release. Director and star Andrew Bowser, among others, will be in attendance!

From the press release:

Considered the “Sundance of Horror,” Screamfest is proud to showcase new work from independent filmmakers from across the globe. This past year the festival screened the following films, which acquired distribution including KillHer, Sung Kang’s Shaky Shivers, 8 Found Dead, and Goldsmith.

The festival will kick off on October 10th with a screening of Utopia and Sumerian’s DIVINITY, which was one of the most talked about films at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Written and directed by Eddie Alcazar and executive produced by Steven Soderbergh, DIVINITY stars Stephen Dorff, Moises Arias, Jason Genao, Michael O’Hearn, Karrueche Tran and Emily Willis, with Scott Bakula and Bella Thorne. Set in an otherworldly human existence, DIVINITY follows scientist Sterling Pierce (Scott Bakula) who dedicated his life to the quest for immortality, slowly creating the building blocks of a groundbreaking serum named “Divinity.” Jaxxon Pierce (Stephen Dorff), his son, now controls and manufactures his father’s once-benevolent dream. When two mysterious brothers (Moises Arias and Jason Genao) arrive with a plan to abduct the mogul, and with the help of a seductive woman named Nikita (Karrueche Tran), they will be set on a path hurtling toward true immortality.

“For over 20 years, Screamfest has brought the best independent horror and genre films to our thriving Los Angeles film community. This October, we are excited to continue our legacy of presenting our audiences with high-caliber festival frights kicking off with the thrilling DIVINITY by visionary Eddie Alcazar,” stated festival founder Rachel Belofsky.

Another highlight of the lineup is Howdy, Neighbor! featuring former Disney Channel stars Debby Ryan, Matthew Scott Montgomery, and Alyson Stoner. Directed by Allisyn Snyder, this LGBTQ+ horror film follows a former child actor, Benjamin Caldwell (Matthew Scott Montgomery), who is recognized by his new neighbor. When the lines between friend and fan become blurred, Benjamin’s number one fan quickly transforms into his number one nightmare.

World Premieres at this year’s festival include Alone Together, from director William Kresch about a couple who flee a pandemic-ravaged city to a remote cabin to encounter a vengeful spirit Lord of Misrule, a pagan horror story from director William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside, The Boy) set in a rural English village, where a child goes missing and The Piper, directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen about a young composer who is tasked with finishing her late mentor’s concert but discovers that playing music will summon deadly consequences.

Making their North American debuts is the dark satire on contemporary Russian culture and global capitalism Empire V, directed by Victor Ginzburg, which is banned in its home country. The Well, a neo-gothic horror set in Italy about a young American (Lauren LaVera of Terrifier II) working on the restoration of a fire-damaged painting for an aging Duchess (Claudia Gerini of The Passion of Christ), and the psychological thriller Loop Track from New Zealand, written and directed by Thomas Sainsbury, about a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown who retreats to the bush, only to encounter other explorers. Additional titles include Mimi the Prince of Darkness, about a shy 18-year-old boy Mimi (Domenico Cuom) who is abandoned by his family because of his deformed feet, and the Japanese psycho fantasy My Mother’s Eye by director Takeshi Kushida, about a mother and daughter who share a single vision of the universe through the use of a new, futuristic contact lens device with a built-in camera inserted into the eyes and set up with VR Goggle

West Coast Premieres at the festival include the upcoming Spanish film The Wait directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez which has been listed as one of ‘The 14 Most Anticipated Horror Movies of Fall 2023’ in Time Magazine. This sinister folk horror tragedy follows Eladio (Victor Clavijo), a hunting estate keeper, who takes a bribe from a veteran hunter. Additional West Coast Premieres include the blood curdling horror The Puppetman by Brandon Christensen about a convicted killer who claims to be possessed, Faceless After Dark, the killer clown horror film by director Raymond Wood, and The Deep Dark, the unnerving Mathieu Turi film about a group of miners who find themselves trapped in a coal mine and discover they are not alone.

Highlights from this year’s shorts program include Rezar by Carlos Garcia (Forbes 30 Under 30), Robbie Ain’t Right No More starring Madeleine McGraw (Black Phone), Abominations by Mike Fontaine (Academy Award Nominee for ‘The Batman’) Wake starring  Elliot Fletcher, Thin Skinned by Richard Kind and Joe DeRosa, and The Green Ribbon produced by Heather Matarazzo.

Please find the 2023 Screamfest feature line-up below:

Divinity (US, 2023 ) –  LA Premiere

Directed by Eddie Alcazar
Written by Eddie Alcazar
Produced by Eddie Alcazar, Raphael Gindre, Javier Lovato, Steven Soderbergh, Johnny Starke
Cast:Bella Thorne, Stephen Dorff, Caylee Cowan, Scott Bakula, Moises Arias,
Karrueche Tran, Michael O’Hearn, Emily Willis

Centers on two mysterious brothers, who abduct a mogul during his quest for immortality. Meanwhile, a seductive woman helps them launch a journey of self-discovery.

Alone Together (US, 2023) – World Premiere

Directed by William Kresch
Written by William Kresch, AV Bach
Produced by Eric Reitz, DeAnna Wright
Cast:  DeAnna Wright, Matthew Kresch

After fleeing their pandemic-ravaged city for the safety of a remote family cabin, a physically and emotionally abused woman and her volatile boyfriend are forced to face the vengeful spirit that haunts it—and each other.

The Deep Dark (2023, France) – West Coast Premiere

Directed by Mathieu Turi
Written by Mathieu Turi
Produced by Eric Gendarme, Thomas Lubeau, Samuel Le Bihan
Cast: Samuel Le Bihan, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Diego Martin, Amir El Kacem, Thomas Soliveres, Marc Riso, Bruno Sanches, Phillippe Torreton

1956, northern France. When a group of miners find themselves trapped in the depths of a coal mine, they quickly realize that they are not the only ones.

Eight Eyes (US, 2023) – US Premiere

Directed by Austin Jennings
Written by Austin Jennings, Matt Frink
Produced by Justin A. Martell, Matt Manjourides
Cast: Emily Sweet, Bradford Thomas, Bruno Veljanovski

A mysterious local crashes a couple’s vacation through the former Yugoslavia, pulling them deeper into his web of psychic rituals.

Empire V (2023) –  US Premiere        

Directed by Victor Ginzburg
Written by Victor Ginzburg, Victor Pelevin
Produced by Victor Ginzburg, Andrei Trubitsyn, Maria Kapralova, James Steel, Alexei Tylevich
Cast: Pavel Tabakov, Miron Fyodorov, Taya Radchenko, Vera Alentova

Set in modern-day Moscow, “Empire V” is a metaphysical vampire story and a reflection of a world ruled by the cult of beauty, money, and blood. A dark satire on contemporary Russian culture and global capitalism. A universal coming-of-age story of an average young man challenged by a Faustian gift of power and knowledge, forced to make his way in a post-moral world.
Based on a novel by Russia’s leading contemporary writer Victor Pelevin.

Faceless After Dark (US, 2023) – West Coast Premiere

Directed by Raymond Wood
Written by Jenna Kanell, Todd Jacobs
Produced by Jenna Kanell, Randall Blizzard
Cast: Jenna Kanell, Danny Kang, Danielle Lyn, Michael Aaron Milligan, Jason MacDonald, Catherine Corcoran

Following her breakout success as the star of a killer clown horror flick, Bowie now finds herself struggling to capitalize on its success. But when she is suddenly held hostage by an unhinged fan posing as that same killer clown, horror becomes her reality as she fights to survive the night and escape before he completes his sinister plan to recreate the film’s fatal plot.

Howdy, Neighbor! (US,2023) – LA Premiere

Directed by Allisyn Snyder
Written by Matthew Scott Montgomery
Produced by Dylan Snyder, Charles M. Barsamian Esq.
Cast:  Debby Ryan, Matthew Scott Montgomery, Alyson Stoner, Grant Jordan, Sterling Sulieman, Adam Faison, Tim Bagley, Greer Grammer, Kevin Chamberlin

When former child actor, Benjamin (Matthew Scott Montgomery), is recognized by his new neighbor (Grant Jordan), the lines between friend and fan become blurred, turning his number one fan into his number one nightmare. With no help from law enforcement, Benjamin begins investigating the oddly familiar man with his best friend Harley (Debby Ryan).

Loop Track (New Zealand, 2023) – North American Premiere

Directed by Thomas Sainsbury
Written by Thomas Sainsbury
Produced by Gabriel Lunte, Jonathan Potton, Milon Tesiram
Cast: Thomas Sainsbury, Hayden J. Weal, Tawanda Manyimo, Kate Simmonds, Noa Campbell, Bianca Seinafo, Gaby Solomona

A man on the verge of a nervous breakdown retreats to the bush, only to encounter other trampers—and someone or something else entirely—in this psychological thriller.

Lord of Misrule (UK, 2023)  –  World Premiere            

Directed by William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside, The Boy)
Written by Tom de Ville
Produced by William Brent Bell, Nik Bower, Deepak Nayar, Jason Newmark, Laurie Cook, James Tomlinson, Alison Brister
Cast: Tuppence Middleton, Ralph Ineson, Matt Stokoe, Evie Templeton

LORD OF MISRULE is a pagan horror story set in a rural English village, where Rebecca Holland has recently taken over the parish church. When her young daughter goes missing at a winter festival, villagers and local police join in the desperate search. However, the closer they edge towards finding the girl, the more secrets emerge from the town’s dark past; soon Rebecca must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to rescue her daughter from the grip of evil.

Masacre en Teques (Mexico, 2023) – International Premiere

Directed by Rodrigo Hernandez Cruz
Written by Rodrigo Hernandez Cruz, Solrac Niram, Alfredo Mendoza
Produced by Rodrigo Hernandez Cruz
Cast: Tatiana Del Real, Florencia Rios, Danae Reynaud, Juan Ugarte, Jerry Velazquez, Francisco de la Reguera, Ramon Medina

Mimi the Prince of Darkness (Italy, 2023)  – North American Premiere

Directed by Brando De Sica
Written by Ugo Chiti, Brando De Sica, Irene Pollini Giolai
Produced by Marco Cohen, Benedetto Habib, Fabrizio Donvito, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli
Cast: Domenico Cuomo, Sara Ciocca, Mimmo Borrelli, Giuseppe Brunetti, Abril Zamora, Dino Porzio, Daniele Vicorito

Mimì is an orphaned teenager born with deformed feet who works at a pizzeria in Naples. One fateful day, he meets Carmilla, a young girl convinced she is a descendant of Count Dracula. Together, they decide to escape the cynical and violent world they live in.

Monolith (Australia, 2023) –  LA premiere

Directed by Matt Vesely
Written by Lucy Campbell
Produced by Bettina Hamilton
Cast: Lily Sullivan

A headstrong journalist whose investigative podcast uncovers a strange artifact, an alien conspiracy, and lies at the heart of her own story.

My Mother’s Eye (Japan, 2023) – North American Premiere

Directed by Takeshi Kushida
Written by Takeshi Kushida
Produced by Shin Nishimura, Yosuke Sato
Cast: Akane Ono, Mone Shitara, Takuma Izumi, Shusaku Uchida

A mother and daughter share a single vision of the universe through the use of a new,
futuristic contact lens device with a built-in camera inserted into the eyes and set up together with VR Goggles. This is a psycho-fantasy that weaves together the lives of the mother and daughter with their shared vision as they ultimately find a true bond while transcending the boundaries of body and mind.

Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (US, 2023) – Cineverse/Bloody Disgusting Special Screening

Directed by Andrew Bowser
Written by Andrew Bowser
Produced by Andrew Bowser, Michael Mobley
Cast: Andrew Bowser, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Rivkah Reyes, Terrence “TC” Carson, Arden Myrin, Melanie Chandra

The story follows fledgling occultist Marcus J. Trillbury (Onyx) as he attends a once-in-a-lifetime ritual at his idol Bartok the Great’s dark mansion. Once there, Marcus meets a group of other occultists and they are led in a series of rituals meant to “better them.” But as terrible things begin to happen, it soon becomes clear that Bartok’s intentions are more nefarious. As Onyx and his new friends battle to keep their souls, a question of great destiny looms over Onyx’s head: is he doomed to be a nobody or will he rise to defeat Bartok and save his friends from damnation? The film is based on director Andrew Bowser’s viral character of the same name, Onyx, who has racked up over 300 million views online and has over 1 million TikTok followers.

Pandemonium (France, 2023) – US Premiere

Directed by Quarxx
Written by Quarxx
Produced by Isabelle Guenezan, Sandra Ianigro, Martine Melloul
Cast: Hugo Dillon, Arben Bajraktaraj, Manon Maindivide, Ophélia Kolb, Sidwell Weber, Carl Laforêt

Following a car accident Nathan realizes he is dead. He will discover Hell and encounter the sufferings of the tormented souls that he will meet there. Will he be able to escape?

The Piper (UK, 2023 )  –  World Premiere

Directed by Erlingur Thoroddsen
Written by Erlingur Thoroddsen
Produced by Tanner Mobley, Bernard Kira, Les Weldon, Jeffrey Greenstein, Jonathan Yunger, Yariv Lerner, Avi Lerner (EP), Boaz Davidson (EP), Trevor Short (EP)
Cast:  Charlotte Hope, Julian Sands, Aoibhe O’Flanagan, Oliver Savell, Kate Nicols, Philipp Christopher, Alexis Rodney, Louise Gold, Pippa Winslow

A young composer is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is tasked with finishing her late mentor’s concerto. But she soon discovers that playing the music summons deadly consequences, leading her to uncover the disturbing origins of the melody and the evil force it has awakened… The Pied Piper.

The Puppetman (US, 2023 ) – West Coast Premiere

Directed by Brandon Christensen
Written by Brandon Christensen, Ryan Christensen
Produced by Matt Manjourides, Justin Martell
Cast: Alyson Gorske, Kio Cyr, Michael Pare, Anna Telfer

The Puppetman, a convicted killer on death row, always maintained his innocence and that it was an evil force controlling his body as he slaughtered his victims. Now Michal, the killer’s daughter, begins to suspect that there may be some truth to her father’s claim when those around her begin to die in brutal ways. She must try and break the curse of The Puppetman before all her loved ones are killed.

The Wait (Spain, 2023) – West Coast Premiere  

Directed by F. Javier Gutiérrez
Written by F. Javier Gutiérrez
Produced by Antonio Perez Perez, Adrian Guerra, F. Javier Gutiérrez,
Cast: Victor Clavijo, Ruth Diaz, Pedro Casablanc

Eladio, a hunting estate keeper, takes a bribe from a veteran hunter. Weeks later, his whole life falls apart. What looked like the opportunity of a lifetime turns into a macabre descent to hell, where Eladio will test his boundaries.

The Well  (Italy, 2023)– North America Premiere        

Directed by Federico Zampaglione
Written by Federico Zampaglione and Stefano Masi
Produced by Stefano Masi
Cast: Lauren Lavera, Claudia Gerini

When novice art restorer Lisa Gray goes to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory after fire damage, little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse of myth and brutal pain.

You’ll Never Find Me (Australia, 2023) –  Premiere

Directed by Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell
Written by Indianna Bell
Produced by Josiah Allen, Indianna Bell, Jordan Cowan, Christine Williams
Cast: Brendan Rock, Jordan Cowan, Elena Carapetis

A sharp and twisted thriller featuring outstanding central performances from Jordan Cowan & Brendan Rock. An isolated man living in the back of a desolate caravan park is visited by a desperate young woman seeking shelter from a violent storm. As the savage storm worsens, these solitary souls begin to feel threatened- but who should be afraid? A bold directorial debut from the filmmaking duo Josiah Allen & Indianna Bell.

What You Wish For ( US, 2023) ) –  LA premiere

Writer/Directed by Nicholas Tomnay
Produced by Nicholas Tomnay, Kevin Chinoy, Francesca Silvestri
Starring: Nick Stahl, Tasmin Topolski, Randy Vasquez, Penelope Mitchell

A chef with gambling problems flees to the Latin American villa of an old friend who appears to be living an extraordinary life. Envy soon turns to greed and then to something more unsettling for the chef when he assumes his friend’s life and discovers the truth.

The post Screamfest to Premiere ‘Divinity’, Hold Special Screening of ‘Onyx the Fortuitous’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“The gritty and sensationally gory made-in-Florida, shot in Miami shocker Do Not Disturb follows the tender tale of a honeymooning couple in Miami who take a peyote trip to strengthen their marriage that quickly turns into a narcotic nightmare,” hyped Popcorn Frights, who held the film’s World Premiere.

Bloody Disgusting is giving away (5) pairs of tickets to the West Coast Premiere and all you have to do to enter to win is send your name and guest’s name to donotdisturbcontest@screamfestla.com. The winners will be chosen at random and contacted via email.

“As they confront their troubled relationship, they discover that this strand of peyote awakens a desire to consume human flesh. Soon their hotel room becomes an insatiable den of love, lust, and desire, from the carnal to the cannibal.”

The film is described as “grotesque, looming, filthy, and full of visceral horror.”  Adds the release: “[Do Not Disturb is a] thoughtful meditations on the hunger of love, with moments of eerie beauty, this is a daring film whose spell will stay with you, creepy crawling down your spine long after the credits roll.”

Said director John Ainslie: “Producer Rechna Varma and I are delighted to have Do Not Disturb‘s World Premiere at Popcorn Frights in Miami at the historic O Cinema just steps away from the beaches and ocean where we filmed. Having worked on the project for nearly a decade it was important to find a festival that loved and cared about the film as much as we do, and to find that and be welcomed in our adopted hometown makes it all the sweeter.”

The post [Los Angeles] ‘Do Not Disturb’- Win Tickets to Cannibal Horror’s Screamfest Premiere on October 14th! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Hulu Original film Matriarch will hold its world premiere screening on October 11  – opening night – before premiering on the streamer for Huluween on October 21.

From the press release:

“Run Sweetheart Run from Prime Video and Blumhouse will close Screamfest LA on October 20th. After what begins as dinner with a client, a single mom (Ella Balinska) finds herself hunted by a monstrous and seemingly unstoppable assailant (Pilou Asbæk). Co-written and directed by Shana Feste (Dirty Diana, Boundaries), the film is a must-see watch for the Halloween season and helmed by an extraordinary team of women both in front and behind the camera. A Q&A will follow the screening featuring the cast and crew.

“Considered the “Sundance of Horror,” Screamfest is proud to showcase new work from independent filmmakers from across the globe. Highlights from this year’s shorts program include Legs starring Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey), plus student film Crimson Ties by Francesca Scorcese, daughter of Martin Scorcese. Additional shorts to look out for include Old Time Radio with voiceover by Paul Giamatti, plus The Rotting of Casey Culpepper directed by Daniel Slottje, which was accepted into this year’s Sundance Institute Producers Lab.

“It wouldn’t be a proper Halloween without everyone’s favorite killer doll: making its West Coast Premiere is the documentary Living with Chucky (written and directed by Kyra Gardner, who grew up alongside the Child’s Play franchise). This doc seeks out other families surrounding the film series as they recount their experiences working on the ongoing franchise and what it means to be a part of the “Chucky” family. Interviews include Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Fiona Dourif, Don Mancini, John Waters and Marlon Wayans.

“World Premieres at this year’s festival include Slayers, the latest from director K. Asher Levin about a vampire slayer (Thomas Jane) teaming up with social media superstars also starring Abigail Breslin and Malin Akerman; Deer Camp, about a 1980s Michigan deer-hunting trip gone terribly wrong directed by L. Van Dyke Siboutszen; and KillHer directed by Robyn August.

“Making their North American debuts are The Revelation from the Netherlands, written and directed by Chris W. Mitchel about a COVID-19 conspiracy theorist awaiting the apocalypse after moving back home, and The Domestic from South Africa, written and directed by Brad Katzen. Premiering for the first time in LA is Employee of the Month from Belgium, a workplace horror concerning gender pay parity directed by Véronique Jadin. Also receiving its LA Premiere is Swallowed starring Jena Malone, a queer horror nightmare written and directed by Carter Smith about two childhood friends surviving a horrific night in the woods.

“West Coast Premieres at the festival include the UK film The Loneliest Boy In The World directed by Martin Owen described as a modern fairytale but with zombies, starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Ashley Benson and Evan Ross, as well as Everyone Will Burn from Spain directed by David Hebrero, about a grieving mother visiting a strange little girl who might be connected to a local legend about stopping an impending apocalypse. Additional films in this category include the joint US/Canada production, Do Not Disturb, about a peyote-fueled honeymoon turned cannibalistic, written and directed by John Ainslie, plus the abandoned camp monster comedy Shaky Shivers directed by Sung Kang, and Follow Her directed by Sylvia Caminer, a female-led psycho-sexual thriller secretly filming her creepy online interactions.

Please find the 2022 Screamfest feature line-up below:

Deer Camp (US, 2022) – World Premiere
Directed by L. Van Dyke Siboutszen
Written by Bo Hansen, Riley Taurus
Produced by Bo Hansen, Riley Taurus
Cast: Noah LaLonde, Brian Michael Raetz, Jay J. Bidwell, Arthur Cartwright, Josh Dominguez, David Lautman, Tina Joy, Paul Wilson
Six dumb shits travel from Detroit to northern Michigan in the fall of 1986 to partake in the annual (drunken) tradition of deer hunting. Upon arriving, the death of a Native American woman awakens a spirit, and the hunters become the hunted.

Do Not Disturb (Canada/US, 2022) – West Coast Premiere
Written and Directed by John Ainslie
Produced by Rechna Varma
Cast: Kimberly Laferriere, Rogan Christopher
Do Not Disturb follows Chloe and Jack’s honeymoon in Miami where a peyote trip to strengthen their marriage becomes a narcotic nightmare. As they confront their troubled relationship, they discover that this strand of peyote awakens a desire to consume human flesh. Their suite becomes an insatiable den of love, lust and carnal desire as Chloe comes to the realization that the only way to escape this toxic marriage is to literally consume Jack.

The Domestic (South Africa, 2022) – North American Premiere
Written and Directed by Brad Katzen
Produced by Shaun Naidoo, Brad Katzen, Tumisho Masha, Ari Stiller
Cast: Thuli Thabethe, Amanda Du-Pont, Tumisho Masha
The Domestic tells the story of an upper-class, happily married couple who hire the daughter of their recently deceased housekeeper as their new helper, only for things to take a dark and macabre turn when she tries to destroy them from within… Exploring themes of tradition versus modernity, African witchcraft and muti, and the extreme class differences in our society, THE DOMESTIC is a tense, disturbing descent into suburban horror.

Employee of the Month (L’Employee du Mois) (Belgium, 2022) – LA Premiere
Directed by Véronique Jadin
Written by Véronique Jadin & Nina Vanspranghe
Produced by Velvet Films
Cast: Jasmina Douieb, Laetitia Mampaka, Peter Van Den Begin, Alex Vizorek, Laurence Bibot
Inès is the mainstay of EcocleanPro, a small wholesale company selling household products. She gives herself body and soul to her boss PATRICK, in the love of a job well done. Although PATRICK is proud of his 1992 Manager of the Year award, the laziness of his employees JEAN-PAUL and JEAN-PIERRE play shoulder to shoulder with the boastfulness of NICO, the tiresome salesman. Under the blasé gaze of the new trainee MELODY, the marketing phrases of the Benelux manager ANNA NILSSON open up a new mental space for Inès: she is the only one who never gets a raise, even though she works harder than the others. Is it because she is the only woman in this boys’ club? Ines takes her courage in both hands and for the first time insists on being augmented, but Patrick throws her out in two sentences. Ines gets screwed again; her frustration turns to anger. Ingesting Xanax and Viagra won’t help. Ines wants her raise and all of EcoClean is going to pay cash for these years of exploitation. Mélody’s internship will finally prove to be very instructive…

Everyone Will Burn (Y Todos Arderan) (Spain, 2022) – West Coast Premiere
Directed by David Hebrero
Written by David Hebrero and Javier Kiran
Produced by Enrique Garcia-Gasco, Deja Gordon, David Hebrero, Javier Kiran
Cast: Macarena Gómez, Rodolfo Sancho, Rubén Ochandiano, Fernando Cayo, Ana Milán, Sofía García, Saturnino García, Germán Torres, Guillermo Estrella, Ella Kweku
In a small village in Leon, Spain, María José (30 COINS and SEXY KILLER’s Macarena Gomez) prepares to end her life after failing to get over the death of her son years before. Everything changes when she receives a visit from Lucía, a strange little girl who might be connected to a local legend about stopping an impending apocalypse. With the enigmatic girl by her side, María José faces the corrupt community, triggering strange events and a series of horrific deaths among the local population.

Follow Her (US, 2022) – West Coast Premiere
Directed by Sylvia Caminer
Written by Dani Barker
Produced by Michael Indjeian, Sylvia Caminer, Dani Barker
Cast: Luke Cook, Mark Moses, Dani Barker, Eliana Jones
The disturbing but timely female-led psycho-sexual thriller centers on a struggling actress and live streamer who has finally found her hook: secretly filming creepy interactions she encounters via online job listings, and using the kinks of others to fuel her streaming success.

KillHer (US, 2022) – 2022 World Premiere
Directed by Robyn August
Written by Tom Kiesche
Produced by Ned Kisner, Lan Kisner, Tom Kiesche, Ron Rogge
Cast: MC Huff, Emily Hall, Jenna Alvarez, Nicole Lovince, Tom Kiesche, Harrison White
Mattie and her three besties–Eddie, Jess, and Rae–head into the woods for a weekend to plan Mattie’s upcoming wedding and bachelorette party. Eddie, Mattie’s roommate and an unrelenting practical joker, leads them to believe they will be setting up camp near Mattie’s hunky fiancé, Jagger, and his friends. They soon realize the tent they’ve snuggled up next to belongs to a mysterious recluse named Mr. Rogers, rather than Jagger, and this is definitely his neighborhood! With zero cell reception and only a literal pot to piss in, their weekend camping trip is beginning to look like a bad idea. But it only gets worse when people start to die and a terrible secret is revealed. All these girls wanted was a killer pre-bachelorette party… and that’s exactly what they got.

Living With Chucky (US, 2022) – West Coast Premiere
Written, Directed and Produced by Kyra Gardner
Cast: Abigail Breslin, Alex Vincent, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, David Kirschner, Don Mancini, Fiona Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Kyra Gardner, Tony Gardner, Tony Timpone, John Waters and Marlon Wayans
A filmmaker who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll seeks out the other families surrounding the Child’s Play films as they recount their experiences working on the ongoing franchise and what it means to be a part of the “Chucky” family.

The Loneliest Boy In The World (UK, 2022) – West Coast Premiere
Directed by Martin Owen
Written by Piers Ashworth
Produced by Piers Ashworth, Karl Hall, Ryan Hamilton, Matt Williams, Pat Wintersgill
Cast: HHero Fiennes Tiffin,ero Fiennes Tiffin, Ashley Benson, Evan Ross, Ben Miller, Max Harwood,
A modern fairytale, but with zombies. When Oliver is tasked with making new friends, he decides that digging a few up (literally) might be his best bet—as long as he and his newly deceased bffs can avoid getting caught.

The Revelation (Netherlands, 2022) – North American Premiere
Written and Directed by Chris W. Mitchel
Produced by Jan Doense, Monique van Kessel
Cast: Victor Löw, Leny Breederveld, Monic Hendrickx, Peter Bolhuis
At the start of the corona pandemic unemployed Jacob moves in with his elderly mother and falls under the spell of an internet conspiracy theorist. As his sister Magda looks on helplessly, Jacob becomes convinced that COVID-19 the beginning of the Apocalypse. A great sacrifice has to be made.

Run Sweetheart Run (US, 2022) – Closing Night Film
Directed by Shana Feste
Written by Shana Feste, Keith Josef Adkins, Kellee Terrell
Produced by Shana Feste, Effie T. Brown, Jason Blum, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones
Cast: Ella Balinska, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Pilou Asbæk, Clark Gregg, Aml Ameen, Dayo Okeniyi and Betsy Brandt
Initially apprehensive when her boss insists she meet with one of his most important clients, single mom Cherie (Ella Balinska) is relieved and excited when she meets charismatic Ethan (Pilou Asbæk). The influential businessman defies expectations and sweeps Cherie off her feet. But at the end of the night, when the two are alone together, he reveals his true, violent nature. Battered and terrified, she flees for her life, beginning a relentless game of cat-and-mouse with a blood-thirsty assailant hell-bent on her utter destruction. In this edge-of-your-seat dark thriller, Cherie finds herself in the crosshairs of a conspiracy stranger and more evil than she could have ever imagined.

Shaky Shivers (US, 2022) – West Coast Premiere
Directed by Sung Kang
Written by Andrew McAllister & Aaron Strongoni
Produced by Luci Kim, Jean Shim
Cast: Brooke Markham, VyVy Nguyen
Two young women find themselves at an abandoned camp in the woods with a book of magical spells surrounded by classic monsters in this comedic send up of ’80s horror films.

Slayers (US, 2022) – World Premiere
Directed by K. Asher Levin
Written by K. Asher Levin, Zack Imbrogno
Produced by Daniel Cummings, K. Asher Levin, Robert Dean, Abigail Breslin
Cast: Thomas Jane, Abigail Breslin, Malin Akerman, Kara Hayward
Kick-ass vampire slayer, Elliot Jones (Thomas Jane), made it his life’s mission to take revenge on the bloodsuckers who murdered his teenage daughter. After years of tracking them, he has finally reached their secret and hidden base. But to get to them he will need to use a motley crew of social media superstars. Enter ‘The Stream Team’: party-girl Jules (Abigail Breslin), gen-z pro-gamer Flynn (Kara Hayward) and their team of trend-makers and breakers! With a hundred million-plus combined followers, they have attracted the attention of reclusive billionaire Beverly Rektor (Malin Akerman), who invites them to party at her multimillion-dollar vacation compound. They soon discover these rich people are none other than the ancient vampires that Elliot Jones is chasing. When the team is being held captive in a house of horrors to serve the vampires plan to take over the world, Elliott is their only hope of survival. As he links up with Flynn, a slayer in her own right, will he take down the vampire hoard and save The Stream Team?

The post Screamfest Horror Film Festival Sets Premieres for ‘Deer Camp’, ‘Follow Her’, ‘Matriarch’, and ‘Slayers’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The second wave of the 2019 feature film lineup is as follows:

A Good Woman Is Hard To Find (UK/Belgium) US Premiere
Directed by Abner Pastoll
Written by Ronan Blaney
Produced by Guillaume Benski, Junyoung Jang

A dynamic killer thriller with its finger firmly on the pulse of stark social commentary and shattering suspense. Recently widowed mother of two Sarah is desperate to know who murdered her husband in front of her young son, rendering him mute. Coerced into helping a low-life drug dealer stash narcotics stolen from the local Mr Big, she’s forced into taking drastic action to protect her children, evolving from downtrodden submissive to take-charge vigilante.

Cast: Sarah Bolger, Edward Hogg, Andrew Simpson, Jane Brennan, Susan Ateh, Josh Bolt, Siobhan Kelly

City of Ashes (Columbia) World Premiere
Directed by Jhon Salazar
Written by Jhon Salazar

A Colombian farmer, faced with the sterility of his wife, wants to adopt his orphan niece, but in order to achieve this he must destroy the demon of the town who is opposed and who, without knowing, had always intervened negativity in his life.

Hanna’s Homecoming (Germany) 
Directed by Esther Bialas

After three years at boarding school, Hanna is returning home to her little village to help her father’s butcher’s shop during her break. Soon she learns that she is not welcome in the village. Everyone remembers the horrific news story about her mother’s death which was followed by the discovery of three dead men in the marsh. While superstition rules the village, everyone believes her mother was a witch and had lured these men into the marsh directly to their death. While struggling to make friends, she meets the extroverted city girl Eva. Thinking she has finally found a friend, scary accidents are starting to happen around her … while Hanna’s confidence and with that her “power” starts to grow.

Cast:  Valerie Stoll, Milena Tscharntke, Godehard Giese

Here Comes Hell  (UK) LA Premiere 
Directed by Jack McHenry
Written by  Jack McHenry, Alice Sidgwick
Produced by Olivia Loveridge

A 1930s dinner party descends into chaos and carnage when the evening entertainment accidentally leads to the opening of Hell. Rivalries and old friendships are put to the test as the guests must battle ghosts, ghouls – and one another – before it is too late.

Cast: Margaret Clunie, Jessica Webber

Porno (USA) LA Premiere
Directed by Keola Racela
Written by Matt Black, Laurence Vannicelli,
Produced by: Chris Cole, Sarah Oh

When five teen employees at the local movie theater in a small Christian town discover a mysterious old film hidden in its basement, they unleash an alluring succubus who gives them a sex education…written in blood.

Cast Evan Daves, Larry Saperstein, Jillian Mueller, Glenn Stott, Robbie Tann, Peter Reznikoff, Katelyn Pearce

Rabid (USA) North American Premiere
Directed by: Jen & Sylvia Soska
Written by: Jen & Sylvia Soska, Jon Serge
Produced by: Jon Vidette, Paul Laldone, Michael Walker

Aspiring fashion designer, Rose Miller, has her dreams torn away into a nightmarish reality when a freak accident leaves her horribly disfigured. After receiving a miracle procedure involving an experimental skin graft from the mysterious Burroughs Clinic, Rose is transformed into the beauty of her dreams. But nothing comes without a cost and Rose begins to feel terrifying side effects that tear at her last threads of sanity. Still driven by her ambition she struggles to keep up appearances as the procedure reveals that something much darker than she ever could have imagined is being brought to the surface. What price will Rose have to pay to have everything she ever wanted? It may just cost her her humanity.

Cast: Laura Vandervoort, Benjamin Hollingswoth, Phil Brooks, Stephen McHattie

Red Letter Day (Canada) LA Premiere
Directed by Cameron Macgowan
Written by Cameron Macgowan
Produced by Jason Wan Lim

While adjusting to a new life in a quiet suburban community, a recently divorced mother and her two teens receive mysterious red letters instructing them to kill or be killed.

Cast: Dawn Van de Schoot, Hailey Foss, Kaeleb Zain Gartner, Roger LeBlanc

The Soul Conductor (Russia) North American Premiere
Directed by Ilya Maksimov
Written by Anna Kurbatova, Alexander Topuria
Produced by Mikhail Kurbatov, Anna Kurbatov, Grigoriy Podzemelnyy

Katya is a conduit between the world of the dead and the world of the quick, and she helps earthbound souls to regain peace. It’s difficult relationships, between Katya and her ‘guests’, for ghosts, too, like real people, have human emotions, habits and sentiments, and they long to find eternal peace.

Cast: Aleksandra Bortich, Evgeniy Tsyganov, Vladmir Yaglych, Aleksandr Robak

The Wave (USA)  West Coast Premiere
Directed by Gille Klabin
Written by Carl W. Lucas
Produced by Joshua Bunting, Robert Dehn, Carl W. Lucas, Monte Young

Frank, an opportunistic insurance lawyer, thinks he’s in for the time of his life when he goes out on the town to celebrate an upcoming promotion with his co-worker, Jeff. But their night takes a turn for the bizarre when Frank is dosed with a hallucinogen that completely alters his perception of the world, taking him on a psychedelic quest through board meetings, nightclubs, shootouts, and alternate dimensions. As Frank ping-pongs between reality and fantasy, he finds himself on a mission to find a missing girl, himself… and his wallet.

Cast: Justin Long, Donald Fiason, Tommy Flanagan, Sheila Vand, Katia Winter, Sarah Minnich, Bill Sage

We Summon The Darkness (USA) West Coast Premiere (Closing Night Film)
Directed by Marc Meyers
Written by Alan Trezza
Produced by Kyle Tekiela, Mark Lane, Christian Armogida

In 1988, Three best friends Alexis (Alex Daddario), Val and Beverly embark on a road trip to a heavy metal music festival where they bond with three guys in a band. After the show, the group heads off to Alexis’ parents’ secluded country home for an afterparty. What should be a night of fun and youthful debauchery instead takes a dark and deadly turn. With killers on the loose, can anyone be trusted?

Cast: Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Johnny Knoxville, Logan Miller, Maddie Hasson, Amy Forsyth, Austin Swift

Wounds (USA) West Coast Premiere
Directed by Babak Anvari
Written by Babak Anvai
Produced by:  Lucan Toh, Christopher Kopp

Will (Armie Hammer) is a bartender in New Orleans. He has a great job, great friends, and a girlfriend, Carrie (Dakota Johnson), who loves him. He skates across life’s surface, ignoring complications and concentrating on enjoying the moment. One night at the bar, a violent brawl breaks out, which injures one of his regular customers and causes some college kids to leave behind a cell phone in their haste. Will begins receiving disturbing texts and calls from the stranger’s phone. While Will hopes to not get involved, Carrie gets lost down a rabbit hole investigating this strange malevolence. They’ve discovered something unspeakable, and it’s crawling slowly into the light.

Written for the Screen and Directed By Babak Anvari the Award-Winning Director of Under the Shadow.

Wounds made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019 and screened at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section in May 2019.

Cast:  Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, Zazie Beetz , Karl Glusman, Brad William Henke

Passes and Tickets for the 2019 Screamfest Horror Film Festival:

Advance selection ticket packages are now on sale. All packages can be purchased online at https://screamfestla.com/festival-passes

Single tickets cost $11.00 and will go on sale at the end of September.

The post Screamfest 2019 Adds ‘Wounds’, ‘A Good Woman is Hard to Find’, ‘Rabid’ and More appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Can Turedi-directed indie thriller will screen on October 13th at 4PM, and we have the film’s chilly teaser trailer ahead of the event.

“Scarlett (Revell Carpenter), a tennis player, practices her craft at a tennis retreat in Upstate New York. She has rented a cabin made of glass, near the gym where she’ll be training. When she arrives, she meets David (David Mar Stefansson), the caretaker. Scarlett finds herself alone and isolated during an unexpected blizzard. Her phone can’t get any signal and when she does get a bar, her phone calls go unanswered. David returns after some time saying the snowstorm has closed the roads. He asks if he can stay at the cabin. Scarlett realizes she doesn’t have anyone to turn to. Has he cut the telephone wires? Is this home invasion? Will Scarlett go to the extreme to save herself from the attacker she believes David is?”

The film was produced by Luca Marcovici. Maya Korn executive produces.

The post Chilly Thriller ‘Glass Cabin’ to Invade Screamfest [Short Film Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bloody Disgusting has the exclusive poster debut for the film that will be distributed by Cinedigm. The movie reunites Jeffrey Reddick and Tony Todd for the first time since Final Destination. It also reunites Lin Shaye and her Insidious co-star, Spencer Locke.

“The Final Wish is a gothic fairy tale about Aaron, a struggling lawyer, who returns home following the passing of his father, to help his devastated mother and confront his past demons. Sifting through his father’s belongings, Aaron stumbles upon an Urn which is far more than it seems. As his desires and wishes start coming true, Aaron thinks his prayers have been answered until he learn the sinister price that comes with THE FINAL WISH.”

Tonight’s screening will be followed by a Q&A with Woodward Jr, Reddick and stars Lin Shaye, Michael Welch, Melissa Bolona and Tony Todd.

The post Lin Shaye Makes Her ‘Final Wish’ On This Exclusive Poster Premiere [Screamfest] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This year, Screamfest will also honor prolific film and television producer Gale Anne Hurd with the Career Achievement Award on October 16^th followed by a screening of Aliens and  The Terminator. Hurd started her career working with legendary director and producer Roger Corman at New World Pictures. She then launched her career when she produced and co-wrote her first feature film, The Terminator, which was a box office and critical success.  This success was quickly followed by Aliens, which received seven nominations and two Academy Awards. Today, she is not only an executive producer of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” she also executive produces “Fear the Walking Dead” and consults with AMC’s top-rated talk show, “The Talking Dead.”

Aside from a myriad of the highly anticipated horror films it will showcase this year, Screamfest will also host the following special anniversary screenings:

Bride of Chucky

In honor of the upcoming 20^th Anniversary of the release of Bride of Chucky, Screamfest will present a special screening of the film on October 12^th at 7PM followed by a Q&A with writer Don Mancini and producer David Kirschner.  Chucky, the doll possessed by a serial killer (Brad Dourif), discovers the perfect mate to kill and revive into the body of another doll (Jennifer Tilly).

The Serpent and the Rainbow

In honor of the upcoming 30^th Anniversary of the release of The Serpent and the Rainbow, Screamfest will present a special screening of the film on Octobert 10^th followed by a Q&A with David Ladd and Bob Engelman. An anthropologist (Bill Pullman) goes to Haiti after hearing rumors about a drug used by black magic practitioners to turn people into zombies.

This year’s Screamfest will showcase a total of 21 feature films and 60 short films. Badges are currently on sale to the general public at www.ScreamfestLA.com and individual film tickets and day passes will also be available for all films including this year’s second wave line up:

The Unthinkable  – 2018  – West Coast Premiere
**Closing Night film**

Directed by Victor Danell (as Crazy Pictures)
Written by Christoffer Nordenrot & Victor Danell (as Crazy Pictures)
Cast: Christoffer Nordenrot, Lisa Henni, Jesper Barkselius, Pia Halvorsen
Produced by Crazy Pictures
When Sweden faces a mysterious attack Alex is forced back to his childhood village. There he must be reconciled with both his father and youth love, Anna, while they all struggle to survive.

Welcome To Mercy – 2018 – West Coast Premiere

Directed by Tommy Bertelsen
Written by Kristen Ruhlin
Cast:  Kristen Ruhlin, Eileen Davies, Lily Newmark and Toms Liepajnieks
Produced by Cary Granat, Darren Goldberg, Ed Jones, Joel Michaely, Max Pavlov, Yulia Zayceva, Serik Kushenov and Aslbek Mussin
A young woman struggles against the unholy forces that possess her in this terrifying occult thriller. After being stricken with stigmata, single mother Madaline (Kristen Ruhlin) is sent to a remote convent where nothing is what it seems and her friend August (Lily Newmark) is seemingly the only person she can trust. Together, they must confront the demons inside Madaline before she becomes the Antichrist.

 Chuck Steel: Night of The Trampires – 2018  – US Premiere of Animated Feature

Directed by Mike Mort
Written by Mike Mort
Cast: Mike Mort, Jennifer Saunders, Paul Whitehouse, Dan Russell, Jonnie Fiori, Samantha Coughlan
Produced by Mike Mort, Rupert Lywood, Randhir Singh, Joseph D’Morais
It’s not 1985 anymore…it’s 1986, and Chuck Steel is ‘the best God damn cop on the force’ according to his long-suffering boss, Captain Jack Schitt. But even this maverick, renegade, loose cannon, lone wolf, cop on the edge, who doesn’t play by the rules has his work cut out when the Governor of LA decides to reduce the licensing hours for clubs and bars triggering a sudden, inexplicable spate of high profile disappearances in the city. The disappearances all have the same thing in common, a crime scene covered in blood but with no sign of the victim. The police are perplexed until they get a break in the case when one of the victims manages to escape. Chuck goes to interview the victim at the hospital but is confronted by a crazed old man who introduces himself as Abraham Van Rental. He warns a disbelieving Chuck that an evil scourge is about to descend on the city of Los Angeles – the scourge of the TRAMPIRES – a mutated hybrid of vampire and tramp…

The post Screamfest Adds Three, Screening ‘Aliens’ and ‘The Terminator’ with Producer Gale Anne Hurd! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For everyone else, The Amityville Murders will be arriving soon after on DVD, Blu-ray and VOD platforms. Bloody Disgusting learned today that pre-orders are now open for the physical releases that all come signed by director Daniel Farrands and include a special 11×17 poster. The product is scheduled to ship on November 5, 2018.

Pre-order the official collector’s package and save $5 with promo code AMITY (limited to the first 500 orders).

The BD/DVD will include special features not available on the digital streaming release, including a deleted scene, filmmaker commentary, and a 22-minute behind the scenes look at the making of the film with cast interviews.

“On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. At his trial, DeFeo claimed that “voices” in the house commanded him to kill. This is their story.”

Starring John Robinson (Transformers), Chelsea Ricketts (Jackals) and featuring Diane Franklin and Burt Young (both seen in 1982’s Amityville II: The Possession).

The post ‘The Amityville Murders’ Scares Up DVD and Blu-ray Date; Pre-Order Your Signed Copy Today appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Actress Lin Shaye, the star of the successful horror franchise Insidious and other popular horror films including A Nightmare On Elm Street, Dead End, 2001 Maniacs, and the soon-to-be-released reboot, Grudge, will serve as this year’s festival ambassador.

“Screaming is good for the soul,” said Shaye.

“I am extremely excited and honored to serve as this year’s Screamfest ambassador and scream with all of you! I’m thrilled to support and celebrate a space where filmmakers, actors and fans can unveil their hard work, and celebrate the horror genre.”

The festival is best known for discovering Paranormal Activity in 2007. Other past premieres include Tragedy Girls, Tigers Are Not Afraid, Trick ‘r Treat, 30 Days of Night, Let the Right One In, The Grudge, The Collection, The Human Centipede and Diary of the Dead. Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Clive Barker, Eli Roth, James Wan, Zack Snyder, William Friedkin and John Landis are just some of the filmmakers who have supported the festival year after year.

Film festival badges are currently on sale at www.ScreamfestLA.com and individual film tickets will be available end of September 2018. All screenings are open to the general public. Winners will receive a 24 karat gold dipped skull trophy designed by the legendary, Academy Award-winning special make-up effects creator, Stan Winston, who partnered with the festival until his passing.

Here’s the first wave of films announced:

SPLINTER-VERSARY– 10-year anniversary screening of SPLINTER
***Splinter premiered at Screamfest 2008 and took home six awards that year. ***
A couple retreats to the wilderness for the weekend but are car-jacked by an escaped convict and his girlfriend on the run from the police. As they travel the backroads, they find themselves in deeper trouble. A parasitic creature has taken over the woods, and the two couples are now in its sights. Finding shelter at a gas station, they must use their wits and every weapon at their disposal to stave off the onslaught, not only from the insatiable creature, but also each other.
Directed by: Toby Wilkins
Produced by: Kai Barry & Ted Kroeber
Executive Producer(s): Graham Begg, Chad Burris, Jamie Carmichael, Mark Cuban
Written by: Ian Shorr, Kai Barry
Main Cast: Shea Whigham, Paulo Costanzo & Jill Wagner

AMITYVILLE MURDERS: (US) – 2018
Directed by Daniel Farrands
Written by Daniel Farrands
Cast: John Robinson, Chelsea Ricketts, Paul Ben-Victor, Diane Franklin, Burt Young, Lainie Kazan
Produced by Eric Brenner and Lucas Jarach
On the night of November 13, 1974, Ronald DeFeo, Jr. took a high-powered rifle and murdered his entire family as they slept. At his trial, DeFeo claimed that “voices” in the house commanded him to kill. This is their story.
World Premiere

DEMENTIA II (US) – 2018
Directed by Matt Mercer and Mike Testin
Written by Matt Mercer and Mike Testin
Cast: Suzanne Voss, Matt Mercer, Najarra Townsend, Graham Skipper
Produced by Matt Mercer and Mike Testin
Suzanne wasn’t always this confused. She wasn’t always DEAD either… When an ex-con takes a job as a handyman for an unstable elderly woman to avoid a parole violation, it becomes a choice he may regret.
West Coast Premiere

DISCARNATE (US) – 2018
Directed by Mario Sorrenti
Written by Mario Miscione, Marcella Ochoa
Cast: Thomas Kretschmann, Nadine Velazquez, Josh Stewart, Chris Coy, Bex Taylor-Klaus
Produced by Harald Kloser (Independence Day: Resurgence.White House Down, 2012), Marcella Ochoa, Co-produced by John Michael Elfers
A neuroscientist’s obsession with a drug that expands the human mind inadvertently unleashes a deadly supernatural force on his team.
World Premiere

DRAUG (Sweden) 2018
Directed by Klas Persson and Karin Engman
Written by Klas Persson and Karin Engman
Cast: Elna Karlsson Thomas Hedengran Nina Filimoshkina Ralf Beck Urban Bergsten Matti Boustedt
Produced by Klas Persson and Karin Engman
In the 11th century a missionary goes missing somewhere in the huge forests bordering the northern parts of Sweden. Among the rescue party chosen to find him is Nanna, a young woman on her first real mission and her first return to the part of the country where she was born. But what they will find deep inside those woods is something else entirely. Something dark. Something ancient. Something evil.
World Premiere

THE FINAL WISH (US) 2018
Directed by Timothy Woodward Jr.
Written by Jeffrey Reddick, Jonathan Doyle, William Halfon
Cast: Lin Shaye ( Insidious franchise, Ouija franchise) Michael Welch (Twilight franchise, All The Boys Love Mandy Lane) Tony Todd (Final Destination, Hell Fest, Candyman) Spencer Locke (Insidious: The Last Key, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Resident Evil: Extinction)
Produced by Jeffrey Reddick, Lauren De Normandie, Timothy Woodward Jr, Johnny Cleveland, Thommy Hutson
From the creator of the Final Destination franchise comes a new tale of death. Following the passing of his father, Aaron Hammond (MICHAEL WELCH) returns to his hometown to help his devastated mother (LIN SHAYE) and to confront his past demons. Shifting through his father’s belongings, Aaron comes upon a mysterious item that is far more than it seems.
World Premiere

THE GOLEM (Israel) 2018
Directed by Doron Paz and Yoav Paz
Written by Ariel Cohen
Cast: Alex Tritenko, Brynie Furstenberg, Hani Furstenberg, Ishai Golan, Lenny Ravich
Produced by Ariel Cohen, Doron Pazm Shalom Eisenbach, Yoav Paz
In this re-imagining of the old mystical folklore, when a woman’s tight-knit Jewish community is besieged by foreign invaders, she conjures a dangerous creature to protect them but it may be eviler than she ever imagined. THE GOLEM is the third feature for co-directed by Doron and Yoav Paz.
North America Premiere

THE HAUNTED (UK ) 2018
Directed by:
David Holroyd
Written by David Holroyd
Cast:
Sophie Stevens, Nick Bayly, Ray Macallan, Maggie Daniles, Kirstie Steele, Virginia Denham
Produced by:
Crispin Manson, Matthew Stradling
In a rambling, isolated house, Emily’s first night-shift as carrier to an elderly dementia patient turns into a nightmare as she is tormented by a vengeful spirit and uncovers the house’s dark secrets.
World Premiere

LOST IN APOCALYPSE (China) 2018
Directed by Sky Wang
Written by Sky Wang, Baiying Wu
Cast: Martin Yang, Mingyi Yang, E’Naan Zhang, Ray Wang, Fengzhu Jia, Qianhua Chen, Simpson Tang, Man Yang
Produced by Iris Liu
A group of seemingly unrelated individuals fight their way out of a virus-infested hotel, only to find themselves at a worse place than before.
West Coast Premiere

OPEN 24 HOURS (US) 2018
Directed by Padraig Reynolds
Written by Padraig Reynolds
Cast: Emily Tennant, Brendan Fletcher, Vanessa Grasse
Produced by
A paranoid delusional woman, Mary White (Vanessa Grasse), has just been released from a mental hospital for setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire. Her boyfriend, James Lincoln Fields is brutal serial killer known as The Rain Ripper. After being released from the Hospital, Mary’s vulnerable demeanor aids her in obtaining employment at an all-night petrol station. However, left alone to her own devices, her paranoia and hallucinations return with furious consequences. Customers and friends suddenly start turning up dead, mutilated, all around her. Is The Rain Ripper back to finish her off?
West Coast Premiere

PLEDGE (US) 2018
Directed by Daniel Robbins
Written by Zack Weiner
Cast: Zachery Byrd, Aaron Dalla Villa, Cameron Cowperthwaite, Phillip Andre Botello, Jesse Pimentel, Erica Boozer, Joe Gallagher, Zack Weiner, Jean-Louis Droulers
Produced by Mark Rapaport, Keaton Heinrichs, Akiva Nemetsky
A group of college freshmen pledge an exclusive fraternity but soon realize there’s more at stake than they could have ever imagined.
US Premiere

TUMBBAD (India) 2018
Directed by Rahi Anil Barve, Anand Gandhi
Written by Mitesh Shah, Adesh Prasad, Rahi Anil Barve, Anand Gandhi
Cast: Sohum Shah, Harish Khannaa, Anita Date, Mohd Samad, Jyoti Malshe, Deepak Damle, Dhundiraj Prabhakar Jogalekar
Produced by Amita Shah, Mukesh Shah, Sohum Shah
A greedy village boy, in 19th century India, pursues a cursed Ancestral treasure, guarded by the devil himself. TUMBBAD opened the Venice’ Film Festival’s Critic’s Week 2018.
West Coast Premiere

YOU DIE (Italy) 2018
Directed by Alessandro Antonaci, Stefano Mandalà, Daniel Lascar
Written by Alessandro Antonaci, Stefano Mandalà, Daniel Lascar
Cast: Erica Landolfi, Simone Moretto, Micol Damilano, Rocco Marazzita, Alice Piano, Simone Valentino, Carola Cudemo, Ja’Michael Darnell, Daniele Marmi
Produced by Daniel Lascar, Simone Offredo, Francesco Scrufari
US Premiere

The post Screamfest Horror Film Festival to World Premiere ‘The Amityville Murders’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film stars Marcienne Dwyer as Alex, a non-horror fan dragged by her boyfriend to a 36-hour camping haunt called Slasher Sleepout. Throughout the camping trip, Alex, her boyfriend Nathan, and a small group of strangers will solve riddles and dodge creeps in masks as Slasher Sleepout employees try to scare them all into quitting before the end of the 36 hours. It’s all fun and games until, of course, they start to be picked off one by one.

However, the questions don’t end at “Who done it?” Alex isn’t exactly the angel everyone assumes she is. She’s been having flashbacks to her recent heroin overdose and keeping secrets from her boyfriend, Nathan. Now that all the Sleepout participants are being brutally murdered, Alex must determine whether these events are real, a part of the game, or if her mind has finally snapped and is playing tricks on her.

It’s evident early on that Ruin Me doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, tonally. At times it feels like it wants to be The Final Girls but with less humor, sometimes Friday the 13th with less blood, other times The Game with less finesse. There are moments when melodrama sneaks in and, in fact, gets so hammy that it’s eye-roll inducing. Specifically, there is a scene on a beach wherein Alex and an old flame not only exchange a few very cliched lines, but they seem to be acting for an after-school special. Soon after, the film jumps into survival horror territory of having characters escape a death trap, and then back into the slasher realm once again.

As far as acting goes, Marcienne Dwyer plays Alex convincingly enough, allowing us all to wonder what she may be hiding while simultaneously inviting us to care about her and her survival. However, none of the actors really stand out much at all. All are simply fine, a few a little less so, and thus make decent, expendable victims for a slasher film. It’s when the film makes tonal shifts into being dramatic that weaknesses become obvious, most notably within Nathan (Matt Dellapina) and Alex’s ex-boyfriend, Jared (Sam Ashdown).

Despite these flaws, this film is not outright bad. On the contrary, Ruin Me is, for the most part, very entertaining and even fun. There are quite a few jokes and allusions for horror fans to appreciate. Even as far as the mystery of the film goes, learning about Alex’s shady past as well as the motivations for the Slasher Sleepout killings is interesting throughout the entire film.

The problem isn’t that Ruin Me is bad, it’s that it’s not altogether memorable. Because it borrows from so many films and genres at once, Ruin Me gets lost in the sea of meta-horror and slasher movies, and then further buried under films which executed this idea much more successfully (think Scream, The Final Girls, even Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon). Nothing really sets Ruin Me apart- it’s serviceable but mediocre.

In all, there are much worse films you could be spending 90 minutes of your time watching. Through the duration, viewers will be engaged, but in a year may be asking themselves whether they watched Ruin Me or not.

Ruin Me played at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival.

The post [Screamfest Review] ‘Ruin Me’ is a Muddled Yet Entertaining Debut appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Preston DeFrancis‘ Ruin Me continues its festival run at the upcoming Screamfest Horror Film Festival Monday, October 16th at 7PM in Los Angeles, CA.

DeFrancis takes us on a wild, fun, gory, suspenseful ride at ‘Slasher Sleep-out’, an interactive horror experience, that is part camping trip, part haunted house, and part escape room. As each of the guests begins to disappear one by one, it becomes apparent that in order to survive, the rules of the game will have to change.

Here’s a clip that introduces the rules of the “game” that are so intense a waiver must be signed.

The post ‘Ruin Me’ Clip Introduces Ultimate Slasher Sleep-out [Screamfest] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Confined to his makeshift lab, a reclusive bioengineer must grapple with the gruesome and deadly consequences of his injectable, time-traveling serum.“

A lifelong sci-fi and horror fan, writer/director Eric Kleifield spent a year developing the film’s time-travel mechanics: “It took a lot of narrative experimentation, and many headache-inducing diagrams, to create a new take on time-travel that feels fresh and packs an emotional punch. ‘Mainline’ shows how even 30 minutes of contained, controlled time-travel can have unpredictable and deadly consequences. I’ve always found time-travel to be an inherently dangerous and scary concept, so ‘Mainline’ pushes that to the extreme.”

The world premiere is set for October 14th, 2017 @ 2PM (Short Film Block #2) – TCL Chinese Theaters, 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028.

The post Mind-bending Sci-fi Short “Mainline” to Premiere at Screamfest this October [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Cabin Fever: Patent Zero‘s Sean Astin,, True Lies’ Tom Arnold, The Frighteners‘ Jake Busey and Straw Dogs‘ Rhys Coiro are starring in Dead Ant, an indie horror comedy directed Ron Carlson.

Ahead of the world premiere at the upcoming Screamfest Horror Film Festival, taking place from October 10 – 19, 2017 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, Bloody Disgusting has a batch of exclusive images that hit the road before battle.

The post Exclusive ‘Dead Ant’ Images Hit the Road to Screamfest appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

2017 SECOND WAVE TITLES

1922 (USA) 2017
Directed by Zak Hilditch
Written by Zak Hilditch
Cast: Thomas Jane, Molly Parker, Dylan Schmid, Kaitlyn Bernard, Bob Frazer, with Brian D’arcy James, and Neal McDonough
Produced by Ross M. Dinerstein
LA Premiere
After murdering his wife with the help of his teenage son, Wilfred James’ life unravels, and he is haunted by visions of what he has done.

ALONE (FRANCE) 2017
Directed by David Moreau
Written by David Moreau, Bruno Gazzotti, Guillaume, Fabien Vehlmann Moulin
Cast: Sofia Lesaffre, Stéphane Bak, Jean-Stan Du Pac, Paul Scarfoglio, Kim Lockhart & Thomas Doret
Produced by Abel Nahmias
US Premiere
Leïlais 16. She wakes up late, like any other morning. Except that today, no one is here to tell her to get moving. Where are her parents? She gets on her bike and rides through the neighborhood: it’s all empty. Everybody has disappeared. Thinking she’s the sole survivor of an unexplained disaster, she eventually crosses ways with four other teenagers: Dodji, Yvan, Camille and Terry. Together they will try to understand what has happened and to learn to survive in a world that has become hostile… But are they really alone?

DOUBLE DATE (UK) 2017
Directed by Benjamin Barfoot
Written by Danny Morgan
Cast: Danny Morgan, Georgia Groome, Michael Socha & Kelly Wenham
Produced by Maggie Monteith & Matthew James Wilkinson
US Premiere
Meet innocent Jim, terrified of girls, and on a reluctant quest to prove his manhood the night before he turns 30. He and his cocky friend Alex think they’ve hit the jackpot when they meet the beautiful siblings Kitty and Lulu, who seem up for anything on a wild party-fuelled night. But little do they know that the femmes fatales want to make Jim lose much more than just his virginity – Getting laid has never been so bloody difficult.

LAPLACE’S DEMON (ITALY) 2017
Directed by Giordano Giulivi
Written by Duccio Giulivi, Giordano Giulivi
Cast: Alessandro Zonfrilli, Carlotta Mazzoncini, Duccio Giulivi, Ferdinando D’Urbano, Silvano Bertolin, Simone Moscato, Simone Valeri, Walter Smorti
Produced by Duccio Giulivi, Silvano Bertolin, Ferdinando D’Urbano, Giordano Giulivi
US Premiere
Eight people are imprisoned in a secluded mansion on an uninhabited island. After waiting in vain for the host, they find a model with eight self-propelled pawns that reproduces the movements of each group member in real time…

THE LODGERS (IRELAND) 2017
Directed by Brian O’Malley
Written by David Turpin
Cast: Charlotte Vega, Bill Milner, Eugene Simon, David Bradley Moe Dunford, Deirdre O’Kane, Roisin Murphy
Produced by Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde
US Premiere
A gothic ghost story about orphaned twins Edward and Rachel who share a crumbling manor in 1920s rural Ireland – but they are not alone. They share the house with unseen entities who control them with three absolute rules. As separate fates draw them apart, the twins must face the terrible truth about their family’s ghostly tormentors.

VIDAR THE VAMPIRE (NORWAY) 2017
Directed by Thomas Aske Berg and Fredrik Waldeland
Written by Thomas Aske Berg and Fredrik Waldeland
Cast: Thomas Aske Berg, Brigt Skrettingland, Kim Sønderholm, Marit Sanden
Produced by Thomas Aske Berg, John Iver Berg, Fredrik Waldeland
LA Premiere
Vidar Haarr is a 33 year old, sexually frustrated bachelor farmer who leads a Christian, monotonous and strenuous working life on his mother’s farmstead in the Western outskirts of Norway. In a desperate attempt to break free from routine, Vidar prays to a higher power to grant him a life without boundaries. Unfortunately, his prayers are heard and Vidar wakes up one evening as the Prince of Darkness in sin city, Stavanger.

TO HELL AND BACK: THE KANE HODDER STORY (USA) 2017
Directed by Derek Dennis Herbert
Cast: Kane Hodder, Robert Englund, Bruce Campbell, Cassandra Peterson, Adam Green, Mike Aloisi, John Carl Buechler, Sean S. Cunningham
Produced by Andrew Barcello, Derek Dennis Herbert
LA Premiere
Featuring interviews with cinema legends, including Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story peels off the mask of Kane Hodder, cinema’s most prolific killer, in a gut-wrenching, but inspiring, documentary. To Hell and Back is the harrowing story of a stuntman overcoming a dehumanizing childhood filled with torment and bullying in Sparks, Nevada. After surviving a near-death burn accident, he worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series and making countless moviegoers forever terrified of hockey masks and summer camp. After decades of watching Kane Hodder on screen, get ready to meet the man behind the mask in To Hell and Back – an uniquely human story about one of cinema’s most vicious monsters.

LIKE.SHARE.FOLLOW (USA) 2017
Directed by Glenn Gers
Written by Glenn Gers
Cast: Keiynan Lonsdale , Ema Horvath, Nate Hartley, Abraham Benrubi
Produced by Adam Hendricks, John Lang and Greg Gilreath
World Premiere
Garrett is a rising YouTube star. Shell is a deeply emotional fan. When they begin a romantic relationship, he’s forced to question whether opening your life to strangers online is an invitation community and rescue…or stalking, obsession and madness.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

Along with the myriad of horror films at the festival, Screamfest will also host several special screenings.

• On October 13, as a tribute to the late Tobe Hooper, Screamfest will show The Funhouse, a film that follows four teenage friends who spend the night in a carnival funhouse and are stalked by a deformed man in a Frankenstein mask.
• In honor of the upcoming 30th Anniversary of the release of Child’s Play, Screamfest will present a special screening of the film on October 14. It will be followed by a Q&A with director Tom Holland to be moderated by Sean Decker and Jack Ulrich. Child’s Play follows a single mother who gives her son a much sought after doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.

Click here for tickets to The Funhouse or for Child’s Play here.

The post Screamfest Adds ‘1922’ and ‘The Kane Hodder Story’; Full Schedule Revealed! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s a classic set-up, but one that can truly sing in the right hands and Mr. Dentonn belted that tune like Ronnie James Dio. The shorts style played like a wonderful melding of John Carpenter and Mario Bava, ratcheting up tension through its framing and use of color. I’d been hoping ever since then that it might get expanded into a full-length movie. Thankfully, it is! It seems that its record-breaking run on the festival awards circuit has paid off and based on this press release, it’s not hard to see why…

“Mr.Dentonn”, directed by Ivan Villamel, produced by Harmonica Films & Mordisco Films, and played by Irene Aguilar, Kaiet Rodriguez and Ander Pardo, has broken records in its genre, becoming the most awarded and selected horror short film of all time worldwide, with 500 official selections and more than 120 international awards, in addition to more than 1500 screenings around the world. It has been part of worldwide reference festivals in fantastic/horror genre; “International Film Festival of Sitges”, “Screamfest Horror Film Festival Los Angeles”, “Fantasia International Film Festival”, etc … among an uncountable list of referents including Oscars Qualifying Festivals (“Cleveland International Film Festival “,” Leeds International Film Festival “), three times nominated for the prestigious Silver Meliès to the Best European Fantastic Short Film. His tour in festivals makes” Mr.Dentonn” an exception within the genre of horror, achieving that historical mark of most awarded and selected horror short film in history. Its creators are already working to find funding for the feature film project of “Dentonn”, where it could fully develop the mythology of the character.

Some shorts are better kept at their brief length, but this one had enough going on within that it could easily sustain a longer running time. I sincerely hope that it all comes together and we get a Mr. Dentonn feature soon. Unfortunately the full thing is not currently online to show you, but there is at least a trailer below, as well as a poster and some stills retrofitted to look like 1980s lobby cards. Enjoy!

Keep up-to-date on Mr. Dentonn by following the film’s Facebook.

The post Award-Winning Short ‘Mr. Dentonn’ Targets Feature Expansion appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Cabin Fever: Patent Zero‘s Sean Astin,, True Lies’ Tom Arnold, The Frighteners‘ Jake Busey and Straw Dogs‘ Rhys Coiro are starring in Dead Ant, an indie horror comedy directed Ron Carlson.

Ahead of the world premiere at the upcoming Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles, the official trailer has been released that carries an Eight-legged Freaks vibe and looks like a bunch of fun. Remember, ants can lift 50 times their own weight…

The post ‘Dead Ant’ Trailer Pits Metal Band Against Enormous Ants appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The festival is best known for discovering Paranormal Activity in 2007. Other past premieres include 30 Days of Night, Let the Right One In, The Grudge, The Fourth Kind, The Collection, Trick ‘r’ Treat, The Human Centipede and Diary of the Dead. Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Clive Barker, Eli Roth, James Wan, Zack Snyder, William Friedkin, John Landis and James Gunn are just some of the filmmakers who have supported the festival year after year.

Here are the first films announced:

DEAD ANT (USA) 2017: World Premiere

Directed by Ron Carlson
Written by Ron Carlson
Produced by Ron Carlson and Stephanie Hodos
Cast: Tom Arnold, Sean Astin, Jake Busey, Ryhs Coiro, Leisha Hailey, Cameron Richardson and Danny Woodburn

When the “one-hit-wonder” glam-metal band “Sonic Grave” embark on a trip to coachella in hopes of a comeback, their peyote trip pit stop in Joshua Tree incites an “unworldly” viscous attack, and they must “rock” themselves out of harms way.

LEATHERFACE (USA) 2017: North American Premiere

Directed by Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo
Written by Seth M. Sherwood
Produced by Carl Mazzocone, Christa Campbell, Lati Grobman, Les Weldon
Cast: Stephen Dorff, Lili Taylor, Sam Strike, Sam Coleman, Vanessa Grasse

In Texas, years before the events of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in the early days of the infamous Sawyer family, the youngest child is sentenced to a mental hospital after a suspicious incident leaves the sheriff’s daughter dead. Ten years later, the Sawyer teen kidnaps a young nurse and escapes with three other inmates. Pursued by authorities including the deranged sheriff out to avenge his daughter’s death, Sawyer goes on a violent road trip from hell, molding him into the monster now known as Leatherface.

RUIN ME (USA) 2017: LA Premiere

Directed by Preston DeFrancis
Written by Trysta A. Bissett, Preston DeFrancis
Produced by Rebecca G. Stone
Cast: Marcienne Dwyer, Matt Dellapina, Chris Hill, Eva Hamilton, John Odom, Cameron Gordon, Sam Ashdown

Alexandra reluctantly tags along for Slasher Sleepout, an extreme event that is part camping trip, part haunted house, and part escape room. But when the fun turns deadly, Alex has to play the game if she wants to make it out alive.

TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID (MEXICO) 2017: LA Premiere

Directed by Issa López
Written by Issa López
Produced by Marco Polo Constandse
Cast: Paola Lara, Hanssel Casillas, Rodrigo Cortes, Ianis Guerrero, Juan Ramón López

We are in a Mexican City turned into a ghost town by the drug-war. Estrella is 11, and when her mother vanishes, she makes a wish: she wants her mother to come back. And mom does return—from the dead. Terrified, Estrella escapes and joins a rag-tag gang of other children orphaned by the violence, all escaping their own past. But she learns that in a city ruled by death, you can’t simply leave the ghosts behind; they walk with you wherever you go.

TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL: THE END OF THE END (CANADA) 2017: U.S. Premiere

Directed by Craig David Wallace and Rich Duhaney
Written by Charles Picco, Craig David Wallace
Produced by Andrew Rosen, Sarah Timmins, Jonas Diamond
Cast: Alex House, Maggie Castle, Bill Turnbull, Melanie Leishman, Jason Mewes, Chris Leavins

Continuing where the cult TV series left off, Todd & The Book of Pure Evil: The End of The End: The Animated Feature Film returns to Crowley Heights to find Todd, Jenny and Curtis grieving the loss of their dear friend Hannah. The three must reunite to fight evil when the Book of Pure Evil returns to Crowley High, bringing with it some familiar faces as well as some new foes. But these enemies are merely warm-ups to the final battle with their greatest nemesis yet: The New Pure Evil One.

TRAGEDY GIRLS (USA) 2017: LA Premiere

Directed by Tyler MacIntyre
Written by Chris Lee Hill, Tyler MacIntyre
Produced by Armen Aghaeian, Tara Ansley, Anthony Holt, Edward Mokhtarian, Craig Robinson, Cameron Van Hoy
Cast: Brianna Hildebrand, Alexandra Shipp, Kevin Durand, Jack Quaid, Craig Robinson

Best friends Sadie and McKayla are on a mission to boost their social media fandom as amateur crime reporters hot on the trail of a deranged local serial killer. After they manage to capture the killer and secretly hold him hostage, they realize the best way to up get scoops on future victims would be to, you know, murder people themselves. As the @TragedyGirls become an overnight sensation and panic grips their small town, can their friendship survive the strain of national stardom? Will they get caught? Will their accounts get verified?

TRENCH 11 (CANADA) 2017: U.S. Premiere

Directed by Leo Scherman
Written by Matthew Booi, Leo Scherman
Produced by Tyler Levine
Cast: Rossif Sutherland, Robert Stadlober, Charlie Carrick, Shaun Benson, Karine Vanasse

In the final days of WWI a shell-shocked tunneller must lead an Allied team into a hidden German base…100 hundred feet below the trenches. The Germans have lost control of a highly contagious biological weapon that turns its victims into deranged killers. The Allies find themselves trapped underground with hordes of the infected, a rapidly spreading disease and a team of German Stormtroopers dispatched to clean up the mess. The only thing more terrifying than the Western Front… is what lies beneath it.

Film festival badges are currently on sale at www.screamfestla.com and individual film tickets will be available end of September 2017. All screenings are open to the general public. Winners will receive a 24 karat gold dipped skull trophy designed by the legendary, Academy award-winning special makeup effects creator, Stan Winston, who partnered with the festival until his passing.

The post Screamfest Horror Film Festival First Wave Includes ‘Leatherface’ and ‘Tragedy Girls’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Yet you’re here at the ultimate horror movie experience.”

Marcienne Dwyer (Bad Girls), Matt Dellapina (Dirty 30), Chris Hill (The Dark Knight) and Eva Hamilton (BFF) are part of six strangers who sign up for a slasher movie re-enactment game in which they are dropped into the woods and pursued by a knife wielding maniac. But when the body count becomes real, Alexandra, the only participant who has never seen a horror film, must unravel the mystery of who is responsible if she wants to survive the ordeal.

Ruin Me will receive its World premiere at FrightFest this month in the UK.

Jinga Films has shared a brand new image to go along with the film’s official festival trailer.

The post ‘Ruin Me’ Trailer Sets the Stage for the Ultimate Horror Movie Experience appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Written and directed by Geoff Redknap, who makes his feature directorial debut. Redknap is best known for his special makeup effects work on Deadpool, The Cabin in the Woods, The X-Files, and Star Trek Beyond. The Unseen premiered to tremendous reviews in this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival and stars Aden Young, Camille Sullivan, and Julia Sarah Stone.

Patrick shared his review out of Fantasia:

‘The Unseen’ is a miraculously solid blend of thriller, horror, and family drama that unravels in a tangible small town setting. It’s the type of debut film that makes you all tingly inside, knowing that Redknap has a lot more in store as a filmmaker. After years in the makeup/effects department, he’s taken his skills and crafted something truly captivating. ‘The Unseen’ demands to be, uh, seen.

“In a modern retelling of the classic The Invisible Man, The Unseen is the story of Bob (Aden Young), a struggling mill worker, who mysteriously abandoned his family and isolated himself in a small northern town. He returns for one last chance to reconnect with his troubled daughter Eva (Julia Sarah Stone), but when Eva goes missing, Bob will risk everything to find her including exposing the secret that he is becoming invisible.”

The Unseen is produced by Katie Weekley for Goonworks Films with the participation of Telefilm Canada. The film will have its Los Angeles premiere at Screamfest at 9:30pm on Tuesday, October 25th.

Here’s a new look with the old sales trailer.

The post New Look at ‘The Unseen’ Become Visible appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Even though “Big Bang Theory’s” Johnny Galecki is taking on Samara in Rings, he’s also starring in the horror comedy/fantasy The Master Cleanse, from Bron Studios and Gilbert Films.

Having just had its Los Angeles premiere at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival, we now have a clip from the film in which Galecki stars with Anna Friel, Oliver Platt and Anjelica Huston.

Patrick Cooper reviewed the film out of Fantasia this past summer, calling it “an emotionally honest body horror comedy.” This blurb plays well with the the following clip that gives us a taste of the uncomfortable fun that awaits us in Bobby Miller’s indie film.

“Down, out, and heartbroken, Paul attends a spiritual retreat to cleanse himself and fix his broken life but soon discovers that the cleanse releases more than everyday toxins…a lot more. The feature debut from Bobby Miller (TUB), THE MASTER CLEANSE is a trippy and fantastic journey that examines how we deal with the things that weigh us down in life, ultimately asking the all-important question: given the opportunity to literally face your demons, what would you do?”

Keep up with the film at the official website.

The post Gross and Sludgy Clip From ‘The Master Cleanse’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bedeviled stars Saxon Sharbino, Mitchell Edwards, Brandon Soo Hoo, Victory Van Tuyl, Alexis G. Zall, Jordan Essoe (as Mr. Bedevil) and a few others as an ensemble cast of high schoolers united by the mysterious suicide of a teenage friend. Things take a turn for the worst when the mourning teenagers begin to receive invitations from their dead friend’s account, inciting them into downloading a peculiar app. While the “Mister Bedevil” initially seems to be just a harmless piece of programming wizardry, it eventually manifests itself in the real world in horrifying, life-threatening ways.

Taking cues from other teen horror flicks like The Ring and Final Destination (not to mention Stephen King’s It, as the app begins to bring the user’s worst fears into reality), the plot here is standard enough once you move away from the curious premise. Despite a few genuinely clever ideas, the movie finds itself constantly tripping over the usual narrative tropes, though the Vangs execute everything well enough that this doesn’t become all that distracting. The real backbone of the film is actually the well-defined cast of characters, making it hard to dislike the feature, even with some predictable moments here and there.

Bedeviled‘s teenagers are, for the most part, far removed from the usual body-count-inflating generic high schoolers that populate many horror movies. The characters and their relationships feel extremely believable, with some of them even defying certain racist/sexist tropes that are all too commonplace in the genre. Mitchell Edward’s performance as Cody is a great example of this, subverting quite a few “token black character” clichés, though his dialogue can sometimes seem a bit too on the nose.

All in all, Bedeviled isn’t really the technologically focused horror-thriller that the marketing might lead you to believe it is, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. What we have here is a charming, albeit occasionally predictable, character-driven horror movie with a splash of modern sensibilities. While some of the scenes involving the titular app’s capabilities may seem cheesy at first, especially with how gullible the teens seem to be, there are still some honest scares to be had with the film. In fact, it could be said that Bedeviled gives a new meaning to the term “killer app”.

Bedeviled screened at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival.

The post [Review] ‘Bedeviled’ Is a Familiar but Well-Crafted Supernatural Thriller appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bedeviled, a horror film by Nicholl Fellowship winners Abel and Burlee Vang, has been described as a cross between Spike Jonze’s Her and Stephen King’s It. It will be screening at Screamfest October 22 @10pm.

In the film, “Five teenagers receive an invite to download a Siri-like app. Once they accept this app which calls itself Mister Bedevil, it begins to torment each of them by tapping into their worst fears. To stop this malevolent force, the teens must learn to trust and depend on each other’s wits and courage.”

Saxon Sharbino of the Poltergeist reboot stars with Brandon Soo Hoo, Mitchell Edwards, Jordan Essoe, Carson Boatman, Victory Van Tuyl, and Alexis G. Zall.

Check out our exclusive first look at the film below:

The post First Look at ‘Bedeviled’, Screening at Screamfest! (Exclusive) appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Those of you in Los Angeles pay attention: we have (2) full festival passes for two different Bloody Disgusting readers to enter and win. Entering is easy as all you need to do is put SCREAMFEST in the subject line and then send YOUR FULL NAME to Giveawayreply@gmail.com. Transportation not provided. Winners contacted via e-mail. Please only enter if you can attend.

Not only that, but Pop and Screamfest invite horror fans across Los Angeles out for a night of mayhem and murder with “Wolf Creek’s” infamous crazed killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) at Screamfest 2016 on Wednesday, October 19th. Get your FREE tickets here while supplies last.

A special two-episode screening of Pop’s television event and primetime limited series “Wolf Creek.” A pre-screening reception will include specialty cocktails, fan photos and trivia hosted by journalist Alyse Wax. Immediately following the screening, join Screamfest ambassador Lydia Hearst and “Wolf Creek’s” John Jarratt for a Q&A. Free popcorn for all those attending, plus check out an exclusive display of costumes and props!

Click over to the official Screamfest website for all of the festivals events, times and details.

The post [Los Angeles] Win a Full Screamfest Festival Pass! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

One of which is Ron Oscar Sierra’s short film, The Perfect Family, which feature Kaycee Duale as Amy Reed, Lauren Cody as Cara Reed, Hunter Phoenix as Mom, and Greg Beck as Dad.

“Two sisters looking to create the perfect family for themselves decide to do so by way of taxidermy. The family dog has just been completed and as luck would have it Mom has just arrived. Now all seems just about perfect until a void comes over them. The idea of getting a brother comes to mind but not without Dad’s permission.”

It’s going to have its world premiere this coming Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 12:00pm.

The other dark horse is a feature, Happy Hunting, in which an alcoholic drifter must battle withdrawal and psychotic rednecks after he becomes the target of a deranged sporting event.

Directed by Joe Dietsch and Louie Gibson, Happy Hunting will hold its world premiere next Friday, October 21, 2016 at 9:30pm.

Warren is a degenerate drifter, scraping by, suffering from debilitating alcohol withdrawals on a daily basis. On his way down to Mexico, he finds himself stranded in Bedford Flats, a one-horse town nestled deep in the American desert. It was a once-prosperous hunting community that has been reduced to an impoverished dust bowl. Unfortunately for Warren, it turns out that the town’s pastime is rounding up drifters and hunting them as part of an elaborate sporting event. To make matters worse, he’ll go into alcoholic withdrawal unless he finds a way to stay intoxicated. It all builds to a blood-soaked, live-or-die showdown deep in the desert.

Martin Dingle Wall, Ken Lally, Kenny Wormald, Conner Williams, and Gary Sturm star in the film.

The post Here Are Two Under the Radar Titles Playing Screamfest appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

TO ENTER: Simply put THE EXORCIST in the subject line and then send your FULL NAME to theexorcistrsvp@gmail.com. Winners chosen at random and will be contacted via e-mail.

Starring Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise) Alfonso Herrera (The Chosen) and Ben Daniels (“House of Cards”), “The Exorcist” returns as a contemporary psychological TV thriller following two very different priests tackling one family’s case of terrifying demonic possession.

[Related] FOX’s “The Exorcist” Just Took Disturbing Original Scene to a New Level

Alan Ruck will co-star alongside Herrera, Daniels, Geena Davis as matriarch Angela Rance, Brianne Howey as elder daughter Katherine Rance, Hannah Kasulka as younger daughter Casey Rance, Kurt Egyiawan as Brother Bennett.

“The Exorcist” pilot was written by Jeremy Slater and directed by Rupert Wyatt. The two executive produces with Rolin Jones, James Robinson, David Robinson, Barbara Wall and Roy Lee. 20th TV produces with Morgan Creek Prods.

The post [Screamfest] FREE Tickets to See FOX’s “The Exorcist” in Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“We’re so thrilled to announce such a diverse group of films this year,” said Rachel Belofsky, Screamfest Founder and Festival Director. “Even in our 16th year, filmmakers continue to push the envelope and amaze us with their incredible imagination, creativity, passion and hard work.”

This year’s Screamfest Horror Film Festival will offer unique access to some of the most creative forces in the horror genre through film screenings, Q&A’s and conversations with some of the most captivating artists working in the industry today. Film festival badges are currently on sale to the general public at www.ScreamfestLA.com and individual film tickets will be available soon.

Screamfest Horror Film Festival is proud to announce that the following films have been admitted to the festival – the first wave of the 2016 line up.

THE MASTER CLEANSE (USA) 2016
Directed by Bobby Miller
Written by Bobby Miller
Produced by Jordan Horowitz, Johnny Galecki, Aaron L. Gilbert
Cast: Anna Friel, Johnny Galecki, Anjelica Huston, Oliver Platt
LA Premiere
Down, out, and heartbroken, Paul attends a spiritual retreat to cleanse himself and fix his broken life but soon discovers that the cleanse releases more than everyday toxins…a lot more. The feature debut from Bobby Miller (TUB), THE MASTER CLEANSE is a trippy and fantastic journey that examines how we deal with the things that weigh us down in life, ultimately asking the all-important question: given the opportunity to literally face your demons, what would you do?

TRASH FIRE (USA) 2016
Directed by Richard Bates, Jr.
Written by Richard Bates, Jr.
Produced by Lawrence Mattis, Matt Smith, David Lawson Jr.
Cast: Adrian Grenier, Angela Trimbur, Fionnula Flanagan, AnnaLynne McCord, Matthew Gray Gubler, Sally Kirkland, Ezra Buzzington, Ray Santiago, Molly McCook
LA Premiere
When Owen is forced to confront the past he’s been running from his whole adult life, he and his girlfriend, Isabel, become entangled in a horrifying web of lies, deceit and murder. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll be scarred for life.

THE CRUCIFIXION (USA) 2016
Directed by Xavier Gens
Written by Carey Hayes, Chad Hayes
Produced by Leon Clarance, Ara Keshishian, Peter Safran
Cast: Sophie Cookson
LA Premiere
THE CRUCIFIXION is a supernatural thriller based on true events that touches on the universal themes of life vs. death and good vs. evil. The project stars Sophie Cookson (Kingsman: The Secret Service), is written by the Hayes Brothers (The Conjuring) and produced by Peter Safran with Xavier Gens (Hitman) directing.

MY FATHER DIE (USA) 2016
Directed by Sean Brosnan
Written by Sean Brosnan
Produced by Sanja Banic, Alma Bogdan-Turner, Orian Williams, Sean Brosnan, Pierce Brosnan
Cast: Joe Anderson, Gary Stretch, Candace Smith
LA Premiere
Deaf and mute since having his hearing knocked out at the age of 12, Asher has been training for almost two decades to avenge himself on Ivan, the man that killed his older brother 21 years ago. And now that his nemesis is out of prison, he gets his chance. But Asher’s target also happens to be his father.

FEAR, INC. (USA) 2016
Directed by Vincent Masciale
Written by Luke Barnett
Cast: Lucas Neff, Caitlin Stasey, Chris Marquette, Stephanie Drake, Mark Moses, Abigail Breslin
LA Premiere
Produced by Luke Barnett, Vincent Masciale, Natalie Rose Masciale, Heather Kasprzak
Fear, Inc. follows a company of degenerates who can be hired for a premium to bring your greatest fears to life. But when horror junkie Joe Foster’s customized scare seemingly begins, he and his friends must decide if this company is there to scare them, or make them pawns in their own sick game.

BEDEVILED (USA) 2016
Directed by The Vang Brothers (Berlee and Abel Vang)
Written by Berlee Vang, Abel Vang
Produced by Abel Vang, Burlee Vang, Leng Yang , Cheng Yang, Kirk Roos
Cast: Saxon Sharbino, Mitchell Edwards, Brandon Soo Hoo, Victory Van Tuyl, Carson Boatman, Alexis G. Zall, and Jordan Essoe
LA Premiere
Five teenagers receive an invite to download a Siri-like app. Once they accept this app which calls itself Mister Bedevil, it begins to torment each of them by tapping into their worst fears. To stop this malevolent force, the teens must learn to trust and depend on each other’s wits and courage.

INICUO: THE BROTHERHOOD (MEXICO) 2016
Directed by Alejandro G. Alegre
Written by Alejandro G. Alegre
Produced by Alejandro G. Alegre, Victor Leycegui, Roberto G. Alegre, Enrique Villanueva
Cast: Isaac Pérez Calzada, Marcos Duarte, Verónica de Alba, Guillermo Jair, Rodrigo Ostap
LA Premiere
After a voyage of discovery FEDERICO creates a new religious cult. He kidnaps FERNANDO, a former collaborator, which will try to leave as heir of worship in the midst of a slaughter justified by their own past tragedies.

LAKE BODOM (FINLAND) 2016
Directed by Taneli Mustonen
Written by Aleksi Hyvärinen and Taneli Mustonen
Produced by Aleksi Hyvärinen, Sophie Holden, Callie McGregor, Claudia Troncoso
Cast: Nelly Hirst-Gee, Mikael Gabriel, Mimosa Willamo, Santeri Helinheimo Mäntylä
US Premiere
Every camper’s worst nightmare came true at Lake Bodom in 1960 when four teenagers were stabbed to death while sleeping in their tent.

ABOUT SCREAMFEST HORROR FILM FESTIVAL
Formed in August 2001 by film producer Rachel Belofsky, Screamfest Horror Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that gives filmmakers and screenwriters in the horror and science fiction genres a venue to have their work showcased in the film industry. Among the numerous films that have been discovered and/or premiered at the festival include “Paranormal Activity,” “30 Days of Night,” “Trick ‘r Treat” and “The Human Centipede.”

The post Screamfest’s Program to Include Xavier Gens’ ‘The Crucifixion’ and Richard Bates, Jr.’s ‘Trash Fire’! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“I’m honored to serve as ambassador for Screamfest,” said Hearst, whose film Condemned premiered at last year’s festival.  “Screamfest provides an amazing platform for filmmakers and actors like me to showcase our latest work and to receive direct feedback from the horror and genre community.”

Screamfest is currently accepting submissions for the festival through Aug. 1, 2016. Films from around the globe are expected to screen at the festival. Winners will receive a 24 karat gold dipped skull trophy designed by the legendary, Academy award-winning special make-up effects creator, Stan Winston, who partnered with the festival until his passing.  All screenings are open to the general public.

“We’re excited to showcase the new work of American and international filmmakers for horror movie enthusiasts,” said Rachel Belofsky, Screamfest Founder and Festival Director. “Over the last 16 years, we have launched careers and helped garnered distribution for filmmakers. We’re proud of the work we showcase year after year.”

The festival is best known for discovering Paranormal Activity in 2007. Other past premieres include 30 Days of Night, Let the Right One In, The Grudge, The Fourth Kind, The Collection, Trick ‘r’ Treat, The Human Centipede and Diary of the Dead.

Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Sam Raimi, Clive Barker, Eli Roth, James Wan, Zack Snyder, William Friedkin, John Landis and James Gunn are just a few filmmakers who have supported the festival year after year.

Screamfest is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to showcasing and furthering the careers of talented filmmakers. Screamfest is supported in part by the L.A. County Arts Commission and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.   For more information, visit, screamfestla.com.

The post 16th Annual Screamfest Hits Los Angeles this October appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

After a lacklustre birthday bash at a bar, Jennifer (Tory Stolper) is attacked in her home. When she awakens, Jennifer discovers that she has been patched together with the bodies of two other women: party girl Ellie (Tracey Fairaway) and shy girl Madeleine (Maria Blasucci). The three women share the same consciousness, as well as the same desire for revenge. Retracing their steps, the women go on a rampage of revenge to find the scientist responsible for their predicament.

It’s obvious from the synopsis that this is one kooky film. From the get-go, despite Stolper being in the driver’s seat for the actual “body” (with some great makeup effects by Kourtney Kuroki to complete the look), we’re treated to all three women doing a well-executed inner dialogue. Blasucci, Fairway and Stolper do a great job of building on the initial setups of their characters and give them the needed development, as each share their own flaws (Jennifer is self-centred to the point of turning people off, Ellie parties and gets loaded with whomever will by her a drink, and Madeline’s anxiety stops her from meeting new people). The film also brandishes some great comedy. Once in a while, the shot shifts to a person’s perspective within the film, and we see firsthand the creature talking to itself, arguing or answering it’s own questions. There’s some great physical acting and comedy by Stolper, akin to Bruce Campbell’s fight with his hand in Evil Dead 2 (though nowhere near as slapstick). In a somewhat disorienting move, certain shots will shift to a shot of all three women being in the same scene, interacting with each other. It takes a while to get used to, but it just adds another unique perspective to the “three people in the same body” mechanic.

The film’s plot is revealed in eight chapters, which shift between the present amalgamated creature’s journey, and flashing back to the individual women for their backstories. Admittedly, these moments are a bit abrupt and threaten to interrupt the flow of the story, but it’s not that big of a deal. Again, the actors do a great job of drawing you in and developing their characters. Credit to MacIntyre and Lee Hill’s script, which also puts in a tragic element that is along similar lines of what Frankenstein’s Monster experiences in longing for a companion (I know it’s a stretch). Early on in the film, the ladies hold onto hope that their predicament can be reversed, and that they can all go back to their former lives. However, it becomes apparent that it won’t be the case. Instead, we go on the revenge tweak that continues the ridiculousness, which is far more enjoyable.

The film doesn’t have much in terms of missteps. Other than the previously-mentioned story interruptions, the film could’ve been more gorier in the revenge aspect than what we got in the final film. Granted, there are some brutal moments, but perhaps I’m expecting more slapstick again. Also, there’s one effect regarding an amalgamated cat that while appropriately cheesy, definitely sticks out as being pretty bad compared to the excellent makeup. A nod to Re-Animator‘s cat, perhaps?

Patchwork was definitely a treat. The acting by the three ladies is superb, as was the overall story. The humour hit home more often than not, and the makeup effects were excellent. While the sadist in me wishes that it was a little gorier, there’s still plenty of brutality here being doled out by the creature. Tyler MacIntyre has taken the Frankenstein tale and tweaked it, giving us something new and fun. Definitely check it out.

The post [Review] ‘Patchwork’ Sews Horror and Comedy Together appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Bengi (Esin Harvey) and Bertran (Gorkem Mertsoz) are having a difficult time with the impending birth of their child. As a means of distraction, Bertran has rented out a house off the coast of Turkey for the couple to relax and prepare for the birth. Unfortunately, the house that Bertran rented is still occupied by someone who grew up there, legal rights be damned. The woman, Naciye (Derya Alabora), is neither prepared to or wants to leave the house. In fact, she’s prepared to do anything to remain in her home at all costs.

At face value, the film sounds pretty straightforward in its approach. However, Cicek has woven a couple of different storylines into the film, which gives Naciye a little more meat. Throughout the film, we’re treated to flashbacks of a younger Naciye (played by Ilgın Çakır) and various “difficulties” she had while growing up in the house. There’s more to it than what I’m saying, obviously. Needless to say, the film goes back and forth between flashbacks and the present day, so paying attention while watching this film is required. On top of that, the film has a certain “strangeness” to it, mainly because of the film’s origins. Rather than altering the film to have a more “Western” feeling, Naciye retains its Middle-Eastern Turkish origins. Be it the acoustic score backed by a xylophone and weird scratching noise (believe me, it’s not cheesy), the look of the house, the clothing or the use of horse-drawn carriages, the film manages to have a quality that’s both accessible to Western audiences, yet still feel a bit otherworldly.

When it comes to the acting, Derya Alabora successfully strikes that protagonist/antagonist balance required for Naciye. While you sympathize with the character and her “broken home” origins at various points throughout the film (this is her home, after all), at the same time you’re repulsed by her psychopathic tendencies. I mean, knitting needles are always bad news in a horror film. As for Bengi and Bertran, we find out as the film progresses that they are just as flawed as Naciye. It’s also weird that Esin Harvey and Gorkem Mertsoz are a real-life couple, which makes their heated moments that much more interesting and passionate. While the acting is great, and the use of flawed characters is a treat to see, there’s the problem of that execution.

With all of its ingredients and potential, Naciye struggles to hold it all together. Part of the problem is the film has a padding problem. Too often, we have scenes of characters lingering about in rooms, or have characters engaging in shouting matches that are supposed to add drama, but instead drag the pace of the film down to a crawl, only for it to pick right up again once the scene shifts. The initial roaming of the house by Bertran is a perfect example of this. While the use of flashbacks is great, the use of them while juggling several storylines tends to complicate matters, which really shouldn’t be the case. Throwing in an incest subplot halfway through the film (told via flashback, naturally) also cheapens the main story, and definitely could’ve been left out.

Naciye should’ve been more than it eventually turned into. With a solid cast, a nice twist on a familiar trope, and the esoteric visuals and score, this should’ve been a great debut by Cicek. Instead, with sequences that drag on far too long and flashbacks that undermine the overall pacing, Naciye really needed to dial back and keep things a little more simple. It’s tough to differentiate oneself when starting out, and Cicek again should be commended for trying to mix things up a bit, especially with the retention of Turkish influences. However, the result is a film that attempts too much instead of sticking to its original idea, which undermines what could’ve been.

The post [Review] Too Many Elements in Storytelling Undermine Screamfest’s ‘Naciye’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In its 15th year, the festival will offer unique access to some of the most creative forces in the horror genre through film screenings, Q&A’s and conversations with some of the most captivating artists working in the industry today. The 10-day film festival will run from Oct. 13 through Oct. 22, 2015 at the TCL Theatres in Hollywood. Film festival tickets and passes are currently on sale to the general public at www.ScreamfestLA.com.

The Opening Night film will be the critically acclaimed anthology, TALES OF HALLOWEEN. The festival will include the premiere of THE LABYRINTH followed by a Q&A segment with producer James Franco, a screening of HANGMAN followed by a Q&A with actor Jeremy Sisto, retrospective screenings of FEAST and Saul Bass’ PHASE IV, five short film blocks from around the world, and on Closing Night, the World Premiere of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: GHOST DIMENSION.

The following feature films will be screened and/or premiered at Screamfest this year:

THE ABANDONED
Director: Eytan Rockaway

A claustrophobic thriller that follows a troubled young woman (Louisa Krause) who, in a last-ditch effort at getting her life together, takes a job working nights as a security guard at an abandoned luxury apartment building. Stuck with a brusque rent-a-cop (Jason Patric) as her partner, she tries to not let her mind play tricks on her while she patrols the empty halls. But as the night progresses strange things begin to happen – and she realizes it may not all be in her head.

CURVE (USA) 2015, U.S. Premiere
Director: Iain Softley (The Skeleton Key, K-PAX)

A young woman (Julianne Hough) becomes trapped in her car after a hitchhiker causes her to have an automobile accident.

CONDEMNED (USA) 2015, World Premiere
Director: Eli Morgan Gesner

Fed up with her parents’ bickering, poor-little-rich-girl Maya (Dylan Penn) moves in with her boyfriend (Ronen Rubinstein) who is squatting in an old, condemned building on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

ESTRANGED (UK) 2015, Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Adam Levins

January is forced to return home after six wild years abroad. A road accident has left her wheelchair-bound with amnesia. Not only has she forgotten her family, but also her childhood and is surprised to discover her home is a stately country manor

FEAST 10 Year Anniversary Screening (2005)
Director: John Gulager

The patrons of a remote desert bar are forced to fight a marauding horde of man eating beasts bent on getting in. A reunion cast and crew Q & A follows the screening.

GAME CHANGER: THE LEGACY OF SAW (USA) 2015 – FREE SCREENING

Generations of movie fans have thrilled to SAW’s blood-curdling story of a serial killer who traps his victims in a sadistic game of survival. “Game Changer” takes you behind the scenes, as cast and crew reveal the stories behind the film that launched the most successful horror franchise in movie history.

HANGMAN (USA) 2015, Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Adam Mason

Returning from vacation, Aaron Miller (Jeremy Sisto) and his family find their home has been broken into. After cleaning up the mess they continue with their lives, shaking off the feeling of being violated. But little do they know the nightmare has just begun.

THE LABYRINTH (USA) 2015, World Premiere
Directors: Kaushik Sampath, Quyen Nguyen Le, Tarek Tohme, Katrelle Kindred, Victoria Rose, Camila Tanabe, John Berado and Jessica Kaye

The Labyrinth is a bold new feature-length film by James Franco and Vince Jolivette’s Rabbit Bandini Productions, made in partnership with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

MARYTRS (USA) 2015, Los Angeles Premiere
Directors: Kevin Goetz & Michael Goetz (Scenic Route)

A woman and her childhood friend seek out revenge on those who victimized and abused them.

NACIYE (Turkey) 2015, U.S. Premiere
Director: Lutfu Emre Cicek

A pregnant couple (Esin Harvey, Gorkem Mertsoz) travels for the weekend to check on the house they rented on a whim for the remainder of the pregnancy. On their first night at the secluded home, they encounter the dangerous woman (Derya Alabora Innocence, When We Leave, A Most Wanted Man) who claims to be its rightful owner.

PATCHWORK (USA) 2015, World Premiere
Director: Tyler MacIntyre

Three women go out for a night on the town separately and wake up together in a decidedly compromising position. After being murdered, dissected, and reassembled into a single person, Jennifer, Ellie, and Madeleine find themselves trapped inside the body of Stitch. Frankenstein meets the Hangover as these frightful femmes piece together what happened to them and who is responsible, tearing through anyone who gets in their way.

PHASE IV (1974)
Director: Saul Bass

The only feature film that Saul Bass ever directed is a complete psychotropic delight. This woefully underseen film follows in the footsteps of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 as a classic of trippy, freak-out cinema. Deep in a secluded desert facility, scientists are studying the behavior of ants, when they discover that the ants are a collective sentient consciousness that may be influencing humanity. The scientists attempt to destroy them, but the ants have other ideas. This is a rare chance to see Saul Bass’s original ending in all its glory. Recently discovered, the ending was removed by the Studio for being too weird. Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Film Archivist Sean Savage will introduce the film.

SLUMLORD (USA) 2015, U.S. Premiere
Director: Victor Zarcoff

Claire and Ryan, a newlywed couple, move into a new house across the country, only to find out that their marital issues are the least of their problems. Unbeknownst to them, their grim and lascivious landlord has been spying on them from day one.

THE TAKING (UK) 2015, U.S. Premiere
Director: Dominic Brunt

Two women with aspirations of opening their own business borrow money from a loan shark, but when his terms turn violent, they’re forced into bloody retaliation.

THEY LOOK LIKE PEOPLE (USA) 2015
Director: Perry Blackshear

Suspecting that people are transforming into malevolent shape-shifters, Wyatt flees to New York City to seek out his estranged childhood friend Christian. As the mysterious horrors close in on Wyatt, he questions whether to protect his only friend from an impending war, or from himself. A genre-bending story about love, loyalty and living nightmares.

THE WOODS (THE HALLOW) (UK) 2015, Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Corin Hardy

A family who move into a remote millhouse in Ireland find themselves in a fight for survival with demonic creatures living in the woods.

Film selections will be chosen for category awards and presented on Closing Night at the Awards Ceremony and Reception. Awards will include Best Short, Best Horror Comedy Short, Best Student Film, Best Musical Score, Best Editing, Best SFX Makeup, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Special Effects, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Each film category winner will receive the original skull award, designed by Academy Award-winning FX guru, Stan Winston.

Film festival tickets are available for individual film screenings as well as festival passes which will grant access to screenings, events, Q&A’s, parties and the Closing Night awards ceremony.

Screamfest Horror Film Festival will run Oct. 13 through Oct. 22, 2015 at TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. To view the calendar and to purchase film festival tickets and passes, visit www.ScreamfestLA.com or call (310) 358-3273 for more information.

The post ‘Martyrs’ Remake to Premiere at Screamfest! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

What makes this so special is that Screamfest hosted the World Premiere of Oren Peli’s indie Paranormal Activity, where it was acquired, retooled, and eventually released through Paramount Pictures to great success.

Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is to be the final film in the franchise (for now), making this Screamfest premiere extra special, especially for those loyal festival goers who were there in 2007 for the first film’s debut.

“We are thrilled to have the Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension premiere close this year’s festival,” said Screamfest founder and festival director Rachel Belofsky. “We are so proud of Oren Peli and his success with the franchise. It’s great to have him back in the festival where it all began.”

The original movie, which Peri wrote and directed, had a platform release via “Demand It” fan screenings before going wide in 2009. In a nod to the importance of fans to the franchise, Screamfest, in a first, will simultaneously screen the movie in those original 12 markets

The markets include: Ann Arbor, MI; Baton Rouge, LA; Boulder, CO; Columbus, OH; Durham, NC; Lincoln, NE; Madison, WI; Orlando, FL; Santa Cruz, CA; Seattle, WA; State College, PA; and Tucson, AZ.

“It’s incredibly exciting, and somewhat surreal, to premiere the final installment of the Paranormal series at Screamfest where the first film premiered eight years ago,” said Peli “These films continued to be made because of the incredible fans that supported them from the very beginning, so I look forward to bringing the series back to its roots to honor them.”

Screamfest runs October 13 to October 22. Ghost Dimension is set to open October 23.

The post ‘Paranormal Activity’ Franchise to Conclude Where it All Began… At Screamfest! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Emotionally fragile Julia (Ashley C. Williams – The Human Centipede) is a clinician at a plastic surgeon’s office. When a client (Ryan Cooper) asks her over for a date, she’s drugged and gang raped, left for dead alongside a riverside. Afterwards, she doesn’t report it to the police and retreats further into her world of self-harm. Then she learns about a special form of therapy for rape victims, an exclusive treatment for the most brutalized victims provided by the mysterious Dr. Sgundud (Jack Noseworthy). Combining Julia’s alluring sexuality with gradually increasing violence, the therapy helps Julia take her power back (but at what cost?).

Now that sounds like your usual rape-revenge scenario, but the inclusion of Dr. Sgundud adds a whole new, really bizarre layer that doesn’t always work. When he’s first introduced, it feels organic to Julia’s story. She’s been savaged now she’s in special therapy. But as her treatment goes on, Sgundud and his strict rules feel like they belong in an entirely different, lesser film of a B-nature. By the time the third act rolls around, the Sgundud thread sort of blew the story for me, but I can’t help appreciate Brown’s intention to add some wicked flair to his rape-revenge tale.

Of course, with a rape-revenge film, the anticipation always revolves around seeing the scum get their comeuppance. In Julia, Brown takes his sweet time getting to that point – building up tension as Julia sheds her skin to become a killer. Her therapy starts out light, with her luring men out of bars and jumping them on the street. Then it builds up to castration and a whole slew of gloriously fucked up things happening to sexual predators. Soon, Julia’s mindset begins to spiral with each empowering bout of violence.

Through it all, Ashley C. Williams is impressive to behold. She doesn’t have many lines in the film, but Williams lets us witness Julia’s transformation through sheer physicality and expression. It’s a fine performance and a pretty damn brave on too. A lot of critics will probably want to rap about the feminism or female empowerment in Julia, how the women form a relationship by lashing out against the slimy men who victimize them. While Brown certainly puts us inside the mind of a victim at their breaking point, any form of female empowerment, however, comes off as a male-version of feminism (Brown also wrote the film), complete with lesbian shower kisses!

All attempts at commentary aside, Julia is a darkly stylistic thriller that’s going to satisfy fans who can stomach its graphic nature. It stumbles in the third act, but ultimately it’s a striking debut feature that builds upon a timeworn subgenre.

The post [Screamfest 14 Review] ‘Julia’ Is a Grisly & Striking Revenge Thriller appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Starring The Human Centipede‘s Ashley C. Williams, Tahyna Tozzi, Jack Noseworthy and Joel De La Fuente, the pic is a neon-noir revenge thriller centering on Julia Shames, played by Williams, who after suffering a brutal trauma, falls prey to an unorthodox form of therapy to restore herself.

In this exclusive clip you’ll see the title character reflecting on said “brutal trauma” and, presumably, preparing to take a stand.

Matthew Brown wrote and directed the pic.

The post [Screamfest] Exclusive ‘Julia’ Clip Reflects On Her Torment appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In addition to the first public screening of the highly anticipated shocker starring horror icon Robert “Freddy Krueger” Englund, Fiona Dourif, Thomas Dekker and featuring the acting debut of Stone Sour and Slipknot lead vocalist Corey Taylor, Screamfest will be holding a Q&A immediately after the screening with several cast and crew members in attendance including Taylor, co-star Felisha Terrell and award-winning FX creators Robert Kurtzman and Steve Johnson.

In addition, the actual “Fear Chamber” used in the film will be on display in the lobby of the TCL Chinese 6. Do you dare enter?

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014
FEAR CLINIC World Premiere Screening and Q&A
6:30PM – “Black” Carpet Arrivals
7:30PM – Screening; with Q&A immediately afterwards
Stars Corey Taylor, Felisha Terrell, Brandon Beemer;
Co-writer/producer Aaron Drane and Producer Mark Johnson;
Special FX Creators Robert Kurtzman and Steve Johnson

Location:

TCL Chinese 6 Theatres
6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Tickets:
http://screamfestla.com/film/fear-clinic

Details:
When trauma-induced phobias begin to re-emerge in five survivors a year after their horrifying tragedy, they return to the “Fear Clinic,” hoping to find the answers they need to get cured.

Dr. Andover (Robert Englund), a fear doctor who runs the clinic, uses his Fear Chamber to animate their fears in the form of terrifying hallucinations. However, the good doctor soon begins to suspect that something more sinister may be at work, something that yearns to be more than just an hallucination…

FEAR CLINIC will be released by Anchor Bay Entertainment in early 2015.

The post Come See the Real ‘Fear Clinic’ Chamber at Screamfest! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by Jack Heller from a script by Tyler Hisel, “an evil is unleashed in a small town when a logging company sets up shop in the neighboring woods.”

You can see it soon if you live in Los Angeles! Dark Was the Night is set to premiere at the Screamfest horror film festival, which runs from October 14th-23rd at the TCL Chinese Theaters.

Also check out the exclusive teaser poster designed by Brandon Schaefer.

The post ‘Dark Was the Night’ Trailer Unleashes Evil Into the Woods appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Screamfest kicks off its 14th annual event in Los Angeles on October 14 through October 23 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres (6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028).

Get your tickets here.

· Cyprian’s Prayer (Bulgaria) – Directed by Dobromir Baychev. An excommunicated Eastern Orthodox priest is the only one who can save a possessed young woman. World Premiere

· Dark Was The Night (US) – Directed by Jack Heller. Starring Kevin Durand (The Strain) and Lukas Haas (Inception). A long slumbering evil is awoken in the trees, outside the remote town of Maiden Woods. Isolated and threatened it sets its sites on the townspeople, as Sheriff Paul Shields (Kevin Durand) attempts to overcome the demons of his past, so that he may protect those that he loves. World Premiere

· Fear Clinic (US) – Directed by Robert Green Hall. Starring Robert Englund, Fiona Dourif, Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Thomas Dekker. Five desperate patients return to the “Fear Clinic” when their trauma induced phobias that were caused by the same tragic shooting massacre inexplicably stricken them again. Desperate for answers, Sara (FIONA DOURIF) seeks out Dr. Andover to treat them again with his Fear Chamber — a radical form of exposure therapy that manifests and controls their worst fears in the form of scary hallucinations. But what they encounter is something much more terrifying than their worst fears combined. World Premiere

· Girlhouse (US) – Directed by Trevor Matthews & Jon Knautz. A HALLOWEEN-style slasher for the digital age, GIRLHOUSE follows a beautiful young college student who, needing money for tuition, moves into a house that streams content to an X-rated website. After a deranged fan hacks in to determine the house’s location, she finds herself in a terrifying fight for her life. US Premiere

· Preservation (US) –Directed by Christopher Denham Wit, a brainy anesthesiologist, heads out on a hunting trip in a forest preserve with her husband Mike, a hedge fund manager, and his brother Sean, a former marine. But when the brothers are stalked and captured by three local hunters, Wit must unleash her own animal instincts or else end up a trophy. Los Angeles Premiere

· White Settlers (UK) – Directed by Simeon Halligan. Suspense thriller WHITE SETTLERS pitches the modern urbanite dream of starting a simple life in the country against the possibility of a very different and terrifying reality. Set in the borders of Scotland, WHITE SETTLERS takes place over the course of one incredibly tense night and stars Pollyanna McIntosh, internationally renowned for her performance in Sundance horror hit THE WOMAN, Festival favourite LOVE ETERNAL and Irvine Welsh’s FILTH. It’s Ed and Sarah’s first night at their new home, an isolated farmhouse. This should be a new beginning away from their stressful London lives. And at first it is; come sunset they fall in love all over again as they wander in the beautiful Scottish landscape. But as darkness falls, Sarah suspects they’re not alone, Ed goes to investigate and quickly, the evening becomes a nightmare. It suddenly dawns on them; they do not belong here. And they’re certainly not welcome…. US Premiere

The post Screamfest Film Festival Announces ‘White Settlers,’ ‘Fear Clinic’ and More! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Screamfest kicks off its 14th annual event in Los Angeles on October 14 through October 23 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres (6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028).

· The Creep Behind The Camera (US) – Directed by Pete Schuermann. The Creep Behind the Camera was an actual filmmaker named Vic Savage; a real scumbag whose only real skill was in his uncanny ability to convince the residents of 1960 Glendale, California that he was making the biggest, the BEST monster movie ever made! The true story of Vic Savage, aka Art Nelson and the making of his monster opus The Creeping Terror (1964) is told in the narrative dark-comedy The Creep Behind the Camera. A hilarious and wholly disturbing look at human nature and delusional demagoguery, The Creep Behind the Camera is a roller coaster ride that takes a nostalgic but cautionary look at the era of drive-in cinema at its very worst. Los Angeles Premiere

· The House At The End Of Time (Venezuela) – Directed by Alejandro Hidalgo. A mother imprisoned for 30 years for murdering her husband is released on compassion, but when she returns to her family home the supernatural events that led to the crime return to haunt her and reveal a sinister secret about the building in which she lives. US Premiere

· I Survived A Zombie Holocaust (NZ) – Directed by Guy Pigden. The crew of the New Zealand low budget Zombie film “Tonight They Come!” are filming in the middle of nowhere. The troubled shoot goes from bad to worse when key cast and crew are struck down by a mystery illness. The replacement runner, WESLEY PENNINGTON arrives on set fresh out of film school and bubbling with enthusiasm just in time for the mystery illness to start turning zombie extras into REAL, shuffling, un-dead Zombies. Los Angeles Premiere

· Julia (US) –Directed by Matthew A. Brown. A neo-noir revenge thriller centering on Julia Shames (Ashley C. Williams – The Human Centipede), who after suffering a brutal trauma, falls prey to an unorthodox form of therapy to restore herself. US Premiere

· Parlor (US) – Directed by Devon Downs & Kenny Gage. The film follows six young college hopefuls vacationing and partying in Eastern Europe who get more than they bargained for when they unwittingly get caught up in a maniacal tattoo artist’s fiendish side business. Shot entirely in Vilnius, Lithuania starring Robert Lasardo (Nip/Tuck, Death Race, Human Centipede III) World Premiere

· Refuge (US) –Directed by Andrew Robertson. This apocalyptic genre thriller is set in the American south about a family struggling to survive in the wake of a catastrophic plague. Los Angeles Premiere

· See No Evil 2 (US) – Directed by Jen & Sylvia Soska. Starring WWE’s Glenn “KANE” Jacobs, Danielle Harris and Katharine Isabelle (American Mary). A group of friends pays a late-night visit to the city morgue to surprise Amy (Harris) on her birthday. But the surprise is on them when the one-eyed corpse of brutal psychopath Jacob Goodnight (Jacobs) unexpectedly rises from a cold sub-basement slab. Their wild party quickly turns into a terrifying slay-fest as the sadistic mass-murderer resumes his savage rampage complete with hooks, surgical knives and power saws. World Premiere

· Suburban Gothic (US) – Directed by Richard Bates, Jr. Starring Matthew Gray Gubler (Criminal Minds), Kat Dennings (Two Broke Girls), Ray Wise (Twin Peaks) Raymond has a prestigious MBA, but he can’t find work. He can channel the paranormal, but chatting with a cute girl mystifies him. Kicked out of his big city apartment, Raymond returns home to his overbearing mother, ex-jock father, and beer-bellied classmates. But when a vengeful ghost terrorizes the small town, the city-boy recruits Becca, a badass local bartender, to solve the mystery of the spirit threatening everyone’s lives. “The Dead Just Got Deader.” Los Angeles Premiere

Screamfest discovering the new blood of horror and honoring the masters.

The post [Screamfest ’14] Announces ‘Suburban Gothic,’ ‘See No Evil 2’ and More appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Lily (Kelen Coleman) is a post lingual deaf woman – which is to say she lost her hearing after she learned to speak – so her speech is perfectly normal. The fact Lily she can’t hear is hard to detect in the story – due to the fact that most deaf people presented in film have either a different phonetic matter of speaking or they have a tell tale sign of always using sign language, etc. Lily’s deafness is not fully shown until well into the movie when she actually tells another character that she is deaf. There are a few clues along the way, and it could have actually been explained prior to this, though I was unable to pick up on it. Being deaf doesn’t really come into play in the movie at all. Yes, Lily and her friends go to a psychic to contact Lily’s sister that has passed away – and yes, Lily “hears” the ghost of a murdered woman call out to her – but the fact that Lily can’t hear really doesn’t matter. There is never a revolutionary turn of events as result of it. Also, Lily is an artist that teaches painting to children in some sort of therapeutic manner so they can empower themselves. After being haunted by the murdered woman, Lily begins painting clues as to where her body is. All of this painting still has no pay off in the movie and is another ill fitting piece of the puzzle.

When Lily moves to Cassadaga, she immediately meets a young lady in her class whose father, Mike (Kevin Alejandro aka Lafayette’s boyfriend from “True Blood”), is divorced. Obviously Lily and Mike hook up, and the connection to the daughter – whom she originally thinks is her little sister who is killed at the beginning of the movie – is lost. While Mike tries to help Lily with her haunting, we fall into another aimless plot point as this love story doesn’t really go anywhere. Mike even shows up at Lily’s house towards the end of the movie and states that his ex wife has filed an emergency order to keep their daughter away from Mike because of Lily’s being haunted by the dead woman isn’t real but a form of schizophrenia. That would actually be more entertaining than what is presented.

Remember penis boy from the opening sequence? Well, of course he’s the killer. You are kept guessing as to who he really is. Could he be the weird son of the lady Lily is staying with? That guy is always looking at porn on the internet and diddling himself with the door open. Probably the most underused part of the storyline, that is the most interesting, is that killer guy. “Geppetto”, according to the description of the film, is playing with a marionette at the beginning of the film and actually turns his victims into marionettes by sawing apart bones and fixing them together with metal sockets. Why? We are not given explanation, and chance encounters with the killer are brief as he is usually screaming at his victims or lying on the ground crying. I simply didn’t understand it and the visuals of these human puppets could have been so much more powerful.

Cassadaga has multiple points of potential, however, we end up with a story that is like a puppet with multiple puppeteers that simply cannot work in sync with each other.

The post [BD Review] ‘Cassadaga’ Is An Ill-Fitting Puzzle appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This curious little room is the inspiration for Indonesian director Jose Poernomo’s new film, 308. It’s not about people traveling to the hotel to pray though – that would be boring as hell – it’s about a group of believers intending to use the room for much more sinister reasons. Mixing elements of horror with regional folklore and fantasy, 308 is a pretty tense ride and the type of slow-burn horror I really dig. Poernomo takes his time dishing out little clues and bits of exposition so by the time the shit hits the fan, there’s some real weight to the terror. I was confused a bit about some elements of the spirit, but overall the whole ride is interesting and delivers some well-earned scares.

Naya (Shandy Aulia) is a recent college graduate who’s starting to get desperate for a job. When a friend tells her she can score her a gig housekeeping at a plush hotel, Naya jumps at the chance. She takes care of her little sister, Airi, so she brings her along. It’s a massive place and one of the hotels where the housekeeping staff lives in-house. When she arrives, the hotel manager Sena drops a bomb on her: the hotel is actually shut down for the next four days and no one can leave because they’re having the outside fumigated. This is super sketchy and probably where Naya should’ve grabbed Airi and bounced, but she needs the job. I’ve been there, sister.

Sena lays some lame excuses on Naya on why she’s never to go into room 308, but it’s quickly apparent that he’s hiding something. The rest of the the hotel crew is shady too. There are two other housekeepers and one excitable chef. The whole cast is solid except for the chef who does some seriously goofy overacting. His tiresome zaniness feels out of place here. I guess he’s supposed to be the comic relief since everyone else plays it straight, but it didn’t work for me.

Naya begins snooping around the hotel and unraveling the plot as the horror starts slowly trickling in. There’s some stuff we’ve seen before (spider-walk, flying utensils), but it all feels fresh within the story of 308. The violence is mostly implied and a lot of the scares are delivered in brought day light, in well-lit rooms. Visually, the film is very impressive. I found the most effective sequence to be the chase during the finale. Good chases are hard to come by nowadays and the one in 308 totally delivers the white-knuckle goods. The enormous hotel space is used effectively as well. Since it’s shut down, many of the floors are shrouded in darkness. Little Airi likes playing hide and seek, which obviously leads to some trouble.

Like I mentioned earlier, I got a little lost myself in the story of the mythological spirit and how it related to what was going on in the hotel. Luckily, there’s a bit near the end where it’s all tied together nicely and explained in full. So if you’re a little slow like me and couldn’t follow, don’t sweat it.

308 is an interesting story that blends Indonesian mythology with contemporary scares. It’s also the highest grossing horror film in Indonesia for 2013, if that helps sell it a little more for ya.

308 is making its U.S. premiere at Screamfest on 10/10 at 5pm and 10/12 at 5:30pm.

The post [Screamfest ’13] ‘308’ Blends Indonesian Folklore with Contemporary Scares appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“In this unnerving chiller, Kyle and Rachel Massy are a young couple who have agreed to document their first pregnancy for a reality show. During the production and after moving to a new home, a series of unexplained phenomena start plaguing the couple, eventually derailing the production of the show. Rachel, growing increasingly paranoid, starts to believe that there might be something seriously wrong with their unborn bundle of joy. Told through the show’s un-aired footage and interviews from friends, family and production members, Brian Netto’s savvy debut feature injects the found footage genre with a fresh perspective and enough eeriness to keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Laurel Vail, Danny Barclay, and Rob Cobuzio all star.

The post [Screamfest] Los Angeles Gives Birth to ‘Delivery’ Tonight! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This morning they announced a second batch of films, which includes The Dead 2, Delivery and even the effects heavy Demon’s Rook (pictured).

Read the list of first films announced here:

Chimeres (Switzerland) – Directed by Olivier Beguin – While taking a holiday in Romania with his girlfriend Livia, Alexandre is hit by a car. He is hospitalized and has to undergo a blood transfusion. On his return he seems to suffer from a strange disease … US Premiere

The Dead 2, India (UK) –Directed by Howard J Ford & Jon Ford. – The eagerly anticipated follow-up to the Ford Brothers’ African set ‘The Dead’, ‘The Dead, India’ move us to the hustle and bustle of India as the outbreak of the walking dead take hold. An American engineer teams up with a surviving orphan street kid to trek 300 miles across stunning but deadly rural Indian landscapes to the now infested slums of Mumbai to try and save his pregnant girlfriend. The first ever international zombie movie shot in Incredible India, ‘The Dead 2, puts the Ford Brother’s unique vision on a far bigger canvas, with breath taking scope, thrilling action and emotional resonance… – US Premiere

Delivery (US) – Directed by Brian Netto – In this unnerving chiller, Kyle and Rachel Massy are a young couple who have agreed to document their first pregnancy for a reality show. During the production, a series of unexplained phenomena start plaguing the couple, eventually derailing the production of the show. Rachel, growing increasingly paranoid, starts to believe that there might be something seriously wrong with their unborn bundle of joy.

The Demon’s Rook (US) –Directed by James Sizemore A young boy named Roscoe is taken to a world where demons dwell. Raised into manhood by an elder demon, he is taught to master the dark arts. During his training, he accidentally unleashes an ancient race of evil demons. They discover our world and release a nightmarish foray of monsters upon it. Paying homage to its colorful roots and packed full of practical effects, The Demon’s Rook is sure to please. – Produced by James Sizemore, Tim Reis, Ashleigh Jo Sizemore & Colin Geddes – LA Premiere

Frost (Iceland) – Directed by Reynir Lyngdal and from the team of Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre – A young couple, physiologist Agla and filmmaker Gunnar wake up at a glacier drilling camp only to find the camp mysteriously abandoned and their co-workers gone. When searching for the lost team they realize they’re up against an unknown deadly force. – US Premiere

The Gauntlet (US)–.Directed by Matt Eskandari starring Bai Ling- In a sunken castle underneath the earth, five strangers wake. They have no food. No memory. No water. And no way out. They don’t know it yet, but in Hell only their sins can save them. They must organize and band together for the sinister adventure that awaits… – US Premiere

Goldberg & Eisenberg (Israel) –Directed by Oren Carmi – Goldberg is a mediocre computer programmer. Eisenberg is an emotionally disturbed thug. Unfortunately the two cross paths. “Goldberg & Eisenberg” is the first Israeli urban psychological thriller, and the first dark genre film ever to be approved for production by the Israel film fund. Inspired by Coen bros, Polanski, Park Chan-Wuk. Currently in preliminary talks to be remade as a mini series for a major American cable channel. – LA Premiere

Para Elisa (Spain) – Directed by Juanra Fernandez – A student enters a terrifying world of obsession and misery when she answers a job advertisement requesting a nanny. Held prisoner in a house full of antique toys, she must overcome her deranged captors or become a living doll. US Premiere

Savaged (Canada) – Directed by Michael S. Ojeda – While travelling across country, Zoe, a lovely deaf mute woman, stumbles on a horrific crime – a gang of rednecks slaughtering two Native American boys. Zoe’s brave attempt to save one of the boys seals her fate. She is captured, raped and left for dead. When an Indian shaman finds her clinging to life in a shallow grave he attempts to save her – but something goes horribly wrong. The spirit of an ancient Apache warrior takes host of Zoe’s dead body. So now she walks amongst the living, hell-bent on getting revenge. One by one she slaughters the men who brutalized her, while the clock ticks away on her quickly decomposing body. World Premiere

The Seasoning House – (UK) Directed by Paul Hyett – The Seasoning House – where young girls are prostituted to the military. Angel (Rosie Day), an orphaned deaf mute, is enslaved to care for them. She moves between the walls and crawlspaces, planning her escape. Planning her ingenious and brutal revenge. – :LA Premiere

Viscera – (US) Directed by Pete DiFolco & Craig DiFolco – In the aftermath of a flesh-eating plague that has wiped out most of humanity, a surviving man and woman face unimaginable horrors when he suddenly becomes infected. Confined to the basement of an abandoned farmhouse, she tends to him as his body rapidly deteriorates over the next four days. But they soon find themselves up against more than just the disease. A crazed infected woman begins to stalk the farmhouse. A suspicious stranger arrives promising the key to survival. And the only possible cure is an injected drug that slowly drives you insane. – World Premiere

The post [Screamfest ’13] Second Round of Films Include ‘Deliver,’ ‘Demon’s Rook’ and ‘The Dead 2’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Carpenter burst onto the horror scene in 1978 with the wildly popular Halloween, followed by such hits as The Fog, The Thing, Christine, Escape From New York, Prince of Darkness, Village of the Damned, and In the Mouth of Madness.

In Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness, a sinister secret has been kept in a basement of an abandoned Los Angeles church for many years. If revealed, it could mean the end of the world. Starring Donald Pleasence, Lisa Blount and Jameson Parker.

Screamfest kicks off its 12th annual festival on Friday, October 12 at 8:00 p.m. with the opening night horror The Collection, directed by Marcus Dunstan (writer of Saw IV, V, VI and Saw 3D: The Final Chapter). Screamfest, the preeminent horror festival in the country, and what the LA Weekly calls “the best place to get a jump on tomorrow’s cult hits” presents the festival in Los Angeles on October 12 through October 21.

The post [Screamfest ’12] John Carpenter Receives Career Achievement Award appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Penned by Eddie Baroo, Justin Dix and Adam Patrick Foster, the pic, “Follows a squad of elite soldiers sent to infiltrate and extract the lead science team from Pine Gap, Australia’s top secret underground military compound, after it comes under attack from unknown forces. The mission is compromised when they encounter a young woman with no memory of who she is or how she came to be there. As they try to escape, the group quickly discovers all is not as it seems and the facility has become a testing ground for something far more sinister.”

Poster inside.

The post [Screamfest ’12] Trailer and Illustrated Poster For ‘Crawlspace’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

From Silent Night and Automaton Transfusion director Steven C. Miller, and starring Jonny Weston, Gattlin Griffith, Peter Holden, Musetta Vander & KelcieStranahan, “Every child knows about the monster under the bed—Neal Hausman’s mistake was trying to fight it. Neal has returned from a two-year exile following his tragic attempt to defeat the monster, only to find his father ticking ever closer to a breakdown, a new stepmother who fears him, and his little brother Paul, terrorized by the same monster. While Neal and Paul work together to try and fight the nocturnal menace, their parents are taking desperate measures to get the family back to normal. With no support from their parents, the brothers have nothing to rely on but each other, and courage beyond belief.”

Check out the first look at the creature!

The post [Screamfest ’12] Take A Trip ‘Under the Bed’ October 16th! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This year’s films include Morgan O’Neill’s long delayed The Factory (check out the first ever images inside!), starring John Cusack, Jennifer Carpenter and Mae Whitman, as well as several other interesting selections including the incredible Canadian thriller Resolution (review), and the Twisted Twins’ awesome American Mary!

Check out the first wave title highlights appearing at Screamfest 2012 (more titles to be added shortly)…

· The Factory (US) – Directed by Morgan O’Neill, starring John Cusack (1408, The Raven) and Jennifer Carpenter (“Dexter,” Quarantine and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose) and Mae Whitman (“Parenthood,” “Arrested Development”). “Present. Buffalo. The unforgiving winter. A killer roams the streets, abducting women on cold, quiet nights. All prostitutes, missing persons with no one to miss them. He leaves behind no traces, no clues; nothing. Detective Mike Fletcher (John Cusack) is the one cop on the force bent on bringing him to justice. Mike sees the tragedy in all of this: that these poor women are alone in life, and in death. They have no one to stand up for them – no one except him.”

· On-Air (Germany) World Premiere – “A man (Markus Knuefken) runs a pirate radio station “Nighthawk“ from the basement of his house. Every Saturday night he goes “On Air” as Doc Rock. One night, a serial killer called “The Night-Slasher” (Charles Rettinghaus) calls the show, and Doc has to stop him from killing his next victim. The struggle for survival is ON…AIR.”

· True Love (Italy) US Premiere – “On the surface, Kate and Jack are happy. But like everyone, they carry secrets that neither is prepared to reveal. After their wedding, they awake from a deep sleep, each alone in a sealed room with no doors or windows – only images projected on the walls and a monitor with two buttons: a “yes” and a “no.” As the horror of their situation unfolds, surveillance films showing their life together appear on the wall, while the monitor starts asking terrifying questions. It soon becomes apparent that a bizarre test of their relationship is underway, and the secrets revealed lead them deeper and deeper into what could not just destroy their love, but threaten their lives.”

· Would You Rather (US) starring Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), Brittany Snow (Prom Night), Eddie Steeples (“My Name Is Earl,” I Know Who Killed Me). “Desperate to help her ailing brother, a young woman agrees to compete in a deadly game of “Would You Rather,” hosted by a sadistic aristocrat.”

· Fear of Water (Canada) – “Rosalie Richard is found savagely raped and murdered at the foot of a cliff in the Magdalen Islands. The sordid crime wreaks havoc on the quiet life of Sergeant André Surprenant of the local Sûreté du Québec detachment. While the shy Surprenant starts the hunt for the killer, his life is in shambles as his marriage is crumbling, his teenage daughter rejects him, his psychologist is trying to help him overcome his phobias, and the Sûreté is trying to push him aside by bringing in another officer to lead the investigation.”

· Thale (Norway; review) – “Two crime scene cleaners discover a mythical tailed, female creature in a concealed cellar. She never utters a word, but the pieces of the puzzle soon come together – she’s been held captive for decades for reasons soon to surface.”

· American Mary (Canada) – “The story follows medical student, Mary Mason, as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted with the surgical world she once admired. The allure of easy money sends Mary into the world of underground surgeries, which ends up leaving more marks on her than her so called ‘freakish’ clientele.”

· Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal – (Canada) – “Lars Olafssen, once a young celebrity in the art world, is slipping away fast into the land of has-beens. His long-time art dealer, Ronny, is now an ungracefully aging hipster who desperately wants his meal ticket back. But Lars refuses to paint. His creativity comes at too high a cost – his inspiration is carnage – blood, guts and limbs. Not surprisingly, this lead to a dreadful breakdown in the past. Nevertheless, an eager Ronny arranges a teaching job for Lars at an art school in a small Canadian town in the middle of nowhere. It’s a “therapeutic” measure for Lars – a means to conquer his need to paint in the “safety” of a country retreat… That is, until Eddie comes into his life.”

· Crawlspace – (Australia) From producers of Wolf Creek and Red Hill. “A group of elite soldiers infiltrate Australia’s top secret underground military compound. They quickly discover all is not as it seems and the facility is a testing ground for something far more sinister.”

· Resolution (US) – “Michael is committed to getting his best friend Chris to sober up and put his life back on track. But what begins as an attempt to save his friend’s life quickly takes an unexpected turn as the two friends confront personal demons, the consequences of past actions, and forces beyond their control. Expertly balancing dark humor, heart, and thrills, Resolution is an utterly unique cinematic experience that defies genre classification.”

The post [Screamfest ’12] ‘The Factory,’ ‘American Mary,’ ‘Crawlspace’ & ‘Resolution’ Set For Los Angeles Horror Event!! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The Screamfest Horror Film Festival is now completed bringing a whopping 10 days of horror to a close. The festival shared some incredible films with the Hollywood crowd, along with quite a few stinkers. Some of the most talked about films ranged from Rites of Spring to The Innkeepers, Rabies, Madison County and of course Livid. The harsh words came out for flicks like Sector 7, Rosewood Lane, Stormhouse and Vamperifica.

The awards ceremony was held Saturday night and was privvy to a slew of surprise victories that had the room in chatter. Nicholas Humphries’ gorgeous “The Little Mermaid” was the winner of BEST SHORT. The Kickstarter-funded The Tunnel won BEST SFX (Sam Loxton & David Sander). Jeff Grace won BEST MUSICAL SCORE for his work on Ti West’s The Innkeepers. Crawl was the most buzzed-about feature winning BEST DIRECTOR (Paul China), BEST ACTRESS (Georgina Haig) and BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Brian J. Breheny). The overrated Urban Explorer rounded out the awards taking home BEST EDITING (Andy Fetcher), BEST MAKEUP (Waldemar Pokromski) BEST ACTOR (Klaus Stiglmeier) and BEST PICTURE.

The post Screamfest Horror Film Festival Winners appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Screamfest LA was just host to the sold out World Premiere of Eric England’s indie slasher Madison County, which we’ve teased in this extensive exclusive set report that also featured the first ever imagery.

Since the premiere sold out, the festival is holding an ENCORE screening tomorrow, October 19 at Grauman’s 6. It will play after Enter Nowhere at 10:15 (although every movie starts late) and will be followed by a Q+A. There will also be a free T-Shirt for the first 50 people to purchase the ticket, and posters for rest who attend.

“Madison County is about a group of college kids that travel to a remote, mountain town called Madison County to interview the author of a tell-all book on the accounts of the grisly murders that happened in the town over two decades ago. Upon their arrival, the author is no where to be found and the townspeople state that they’ve “not seen him in years.” They also deny that Damien Ewell, the notorious murderer, ever existed and that the murders never happened. As the kids start to dig around to get their own answers, they come to find that the stories, and Damien, maybe more real than the townspeople are letting on.”

The post Screamfest: ‘Madison County’ Gets Encore Screening Tomorrow Night appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Premiering Saturday, Oct 22 at 12:00 PM (get tix here) at the Screamfest Film Festival in Hollywood, CA is Director Padraig Reynolds’ Rites of Spring, which stars genre faves AJ Bowen (The Signal, House of the Devil, A Horrible Way to Die, Hatchet 2) and Anessa Ramsey (YellowBrickRoad, The Signal).

Reynolds has supplied Bloody with a new look at the monster flick that had its creature designed by Aaron Sims (A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, Wrong Turn, The Hills Have Eyes II , 30 Days of Night, The Mist, I Am Legend, Clash of the Titans, The Thing)! The clip features star Anessa Ramsey hiding from said creature.

In the film, “A group of kidnappers abduct the daughter of a wealthy socialite and hide out in an abandoned school on the edge of town. But feelings of guilt soon overtake the kidnappers, dividing the group and putting their entire plan in jeopardy. The evening further spirals out of control when their poorly chosen hideout becomes a hunting ground for a mysterious creature that requires springtime ritualistic sacrifices.”
Check out our set visit from May 2010:

Check out the official site Rites Of Spring.

The post ‘The Signal’s Anessa Ramsey Hides From ‘Rites of Spring’ Slasher appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Directed by Bruce Ornstein from a screenplay he penned with Martin Yurkovic comes Vamperifica, an interesting new spin on the vampire genre that stars Martin Yurkovic, Dreama Walker, Creighton James, Bonnie Swencionius, Josh Alexander and Jeff Ward.

Premiering 8PM Tuesday, October 18 at the Screamfest Film Festival, Bloody Disgusting scored three extremely violent, and pretty funny exclusive clips from the film that still kind of reminds me of Jim Carrey in Once Bitten. Josh Alexander will lose his head over one of ’em…

“A clueless, flamboyant college kid discovers that the soul of a great vampire king resides within him. Now he must choose between his friends and his destiny.”

The post Screamfest ’11: Extremely Bloody New ‘Vamperifica’ Clips to Wear as a Hat! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.