‘She’s waiting for you’

Dark Vale is a 2017 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Jason M.J. Brown (Dead Girl Walking; City of Decay); it stars Cara Middleton, Ciara A. Lyons and Darren Whitfield.

While exploring the ancient ruins of a church in the countryside, a young couple is stalked and haunted by the vengeful spirit of Lady Lucy, who was murdered at the vale over a century ago on her wedding day…

Dark Vale will be available on DVD and VOD via Wild Eye Releasing on May 22, 2018.

Reviews:

“Ultimately, Dark Vale might have been a reasonable short film, but it ended up being a feature-length slog. It does show some promise, though unfortunately it does not make up for its own faults.  In fact, the faults only become more apparent as the film goes on and work against its pluses. What is a movie fan to do? Give this one a miss…” Dave Heath, Cryptic Rock

” …Dark Vale is a pretty cool ghost story that avoids spoon-feeding the audience its premise, story and set of rules, but keeps them in the dark and guessing to the very end, just like the lead characters, who are thrown into a world they at first fail to understand and that’s only unveiling its secrets gradually to not at all.” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

Cast and characters:

• Cara Middleton … Leah
• Ciara A. Lyons … Fairground Girl
• Darren Whitfield … Carl
• Darren Randall … Tom
• Katie Richmond-Ward … Anna
• Chloe Clarke … Lady Lucy – A Date with Ghosts
• Martin Farmilo… Camp Fire Story Teller
• Sadie Kime … Fairground Dream Girl

Filming locations:

Nottinghamshire, England, UK

IMDb

‘Heads will roll’

Doll Murder Spree is a 2017 American horror film written and directed by Reyna Young (Interview;The 12 Slays of Christmas; Miss Misery’s Movie Massacre; Monster of Golden Gate; et al). The Last Doorway Productions movie stars Connie Jo Sechrist, Moses J. Moseley and John Crosthwaite.

A group of college students join their teacher for a weekend of filming for extra credit. They are documenting the local Hell House that’s haunted by the family who were murdered there. Little do they know they would be trying to survive the night…

The film is being distributed worldwide by SGL Entertainment.

Cast and characters:

• Connie Jo Sechrist … Kelly
• Moses J. Moseley … Jeremy Winters
• John Crosthwaite … Nick Larson
• Marv Blauvelt … Mr. Harris
• Alex Bretow … Sam Clouds
• Reyna Young … Mary Larson
• Shotzi Blakk Heartt … Nancy
• Mary-Madison Baldo … Lisa
• Annalisa Bastiani … Maggie Larson
• Raul DeLaRosa … Mr. Larson
• Charlie Baker … Kevin Jenkins

Filming locations:

Antioch, California, USA

IMDb | Facebook

Charmed is a 2018 American supernatural/fantasy television series developed by Jennie Snyder Urman for The CW channel. It is a reboot of the popular series of the same name that ran for eight seasons from 1998 until 2006.

Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, and Madeleine Mantock star as three sisters who, after the tragic death of their mother, discover they are powerful witches . The series also stars Rupert Evans, Ser’Darius Blain, Charlie Gillespie, and Ellen Tamaki.

The pilot was directed by Brad Silberling and filmed in Vancouver, British Columbiafrom March 19 to April 7, 2018

The reboot has been described by The CW as being “fierce, funny,” and “feminist.”

“Stronger together.” That’s what Marisol tells her daughters, firebrand social justice warrior Melanie “Mel” Vera, and her sister, fun-loving Maggie, about their family.

Mel is a graduate student in the women’s studies department her mother heads at Hilltowne University; Maggie is a freshman considering rushing a sorority (to Mel’s amused dismay) and going “on” again with her on-again off-again boyfriend Brian. But then, a shocking tragedy shatters their world and threatens their sibling bond: Marisol dies in a horrifying accident. Or was it?

Three months later, we find Mel unable to accept the official explanation of their mother’s death, while Maggie accuses her of being morbidly obsessed. And then, another huge shock shows up at their front door: they have an older sister, brilliant geneticist Macy, whom their mother kept a secret all these years! Macy is new in town and doesn’t know a soul (except for Galvin, the fellow scientist who’s been showing her around). Macy is eager to connect with Mel and Maggie, but Mel can’t handle another shock, and shuts her out.

With the emotions of all three sisters running high, each of the girls suddenly exhibit impossible new abilities: Mel can freeze time, Maggie starts hearing others’ thoughts, and Macy has telekinetic powers. But don’t worry, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation…or so says Harry Greenwood (who as far as they know is the officious new chair of the women’s studies department), when he gathers the three sisters together to reveal they’re actually powerful witches, as was their mother. And he’s not really a professor, he’s their “Whitelighter,” a witch’s advisor and guide! Not only that, but Mel was right: their mother’s death was no accident – she was murdered by unknown dark forces.

It’s a lot to take in, but ultimately the sisters accept their new destiny as The Charmed Ones…and their new duty to protect humankind from the demons that walk among us…one of whom killed their mother. With the Power of Three, they are stronger together… even if they have no idea what they’re really up against.”

Wikipedia

The Little Stranger is a 2018 Irish/British supernatural horror film directed by Lenny Abrahamson from a screenplay by Lucinda Coxon, based on Sarah Waters’ novel of the same name. The movie stars Domnhall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson and Charlotte Rampling.

Doctor Faraday (Domnhall Gleeson), the son of a housemaid, has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. During the long hot summer of 1947, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked.

Hundreds Hall has been home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries. But it is now in decline and its inhabitants – mother, son and daughter – are haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life. When he takes on his new patient, Faraday has no idea how closely, and how terrifyingly, the family’s story is about to become entwined with his own…

The Little Stranger is due to be released on August 31, 2018.

Cast and characters:

• Domhnall Gleeson … Doctor Faraday
• Ruth Wilson … Caroline Ayres
• Charlotte Rampling … Mrs. Ayres
• Will Poulter … Roderick Ayres
• Josh Dylan … Bland
• Kate Phillips … Diana Baker-Hyde
• Anna Madeley … Anne Granger
• Camilla Arfwedson … Young Mrs. Ayres
• Tipper Seifert-Cleveland … Young Susan
• Lorne MacFadyen … Doctor Calder
• Darren Kent … TBC
• Dixie Egerickx …Gillian Baker-Hyde
• Tim Plester … TBC
• Amy Marston … Mrs. Blundell
• Sarah Crowden … Miss Dabney

IMDb

Little Red Riding Hood is a 2015 American fantasy horror film directed by Rene Perez (From Hell to the Wild West; It Hungers; Playing with Dolls trilogy; The Obsidian Curse; et al) from a screenplay by Barry Massoni (Sleeping Beauty; The Snow Queen; Alien Showdown). The iDiC Entertainment production stars Iren Levy, Nicole Stark and Robert Amstler.

Little Red Riding Hood (Iren Levy) has received the news that her grandmother, who lives beyond a large, dark forest in a lonely little house, is seriously ill and she urgently needs medicine.

In order to save time, Little Red Riding Hood dares to make her way through the dark forest, which according to legend is dominated by monsters and the undead. These creatures are controlled by a demon who lives in a desolate castle in the middle of the forest and who wants to suck life out of everything living that goes into his sphere of influence in order to prolong his rule for all eternity.

Little Red Riding Hood soon becomes a prisoner of the demon, held by an invisible force. Only a brave warrior (Robert Amstler) can free her from her eternal prison…

YouTube channel Kings of Horror has made the film available for free online.

Cast and characters:

• Iren Levy [as Irina Levadneva] … Red Riding Hood
• Nicole Stark … Carol Marcus
• Robert Amstler … Warrior
• Alanna Forte … Beautiful Siren
• John Scuderi … Dead Knight
• Colin Hussey … Prisoner
• Marilyn Robrahn … Grandmother
• Jason Prado … Blind Creature
• Louie Ambriz … Lycanthrope
• Raula Reed … Evil Siren
• Ian Dalziel … Modern Master
• Robert S. Dixon … Master Creature

Filming locations:

Castello di Amorosa, Calistoga, Napa Valley, Humboldt County and Shasta County, California, USA

IMDb

The Necronomi-Condom is a horror-themed red protective prophylactic based on The Evil Dead franchise, designed and manufactured by Forever Midnight. The artwork is by Jef Overn and design by Josh Staples.

Thanks to Broke Horror Fan for making us aware of this unique novelty item.

‘Only death will set you free’

Sleepless Nights is a 2016 American horror anthology film with segments written and directed by:

• Todd Sheets – Bonehill Road; Dreaming Purple Neon; House of Forbidden Secrets; Zombie Bloodbath; Goblin; et al
• Brad Twigg – WrestleMassacre; Killer Campout; MILFs vs. Zombies; Frames of Fear; et al
• Tony Masiello – Grindsploitation: The Movie; Frames of Fear
• Jeff Chitty – The Taking of Savannah; Survive!; Roadkill
• Antwoine Steele – Spirits
• Johnnie Reed – Divine Ritual (short)
• Amanda Payton – Hi-Death; The Crawler (short)

Blade Braxton and Louie G Maldonado star. 

The movie will be available on DVD on September 25, 2018, via Wild Eye Releasing.

Release:

Sleepless Nights premiered at Panic Fest in Kansas City on February 6, 2016.

Trivia:

Not be confused with the 2002 vampire film of the same name written and directed by William Hopkins.

IMDb | Facebook

‘There’s a bad moon blazing’

Weed Wolf – aka Weed Wolf – is a 2011 American comedy horror film directed by Calvin Hall from a screenplay co-written with Tommy Slama (director of American Freakshow). The Rat Bastards Films production stars E. Lee Smith, A.J. Germaine and Phillip Tolle.

The residents of small-town Normal, Texas find themselves threatened by a mysterious werewolf who likes to eat stoners.

All that stands in the way of total mayhem is Grass County Sheriff Hardwood, his son, Bumper, and his deputy, Rodriguez. They’ll find some help from Mary Jane, hippies, survivalists, and even a Sasquatch…

Weedwolf is released on DVD on September 25, 2018, via Wild Eye Raw and Extreme.

Cast and characters:

• E. Lee Smith … Sheriff Hardwood
• A.J. Germaine … Junebug
• Phillip Tolle … Jimby Bumgardner
• Tommy Slama… Bumper Hardwood
• Guy Rodriguez … Deputy Rodriguez
• Kaitlyn Colunga … Mary Jane
• Joanna Smith … Gloria / Jeannie Bundick
• Steven Galvan … Steve
• Justin Guthrie … Justin
• Larry McAdams … Butch / Punk Wolf
• Michael Moore … Willie
• Haley Slama … Ida Claire Buttfield
• Jeannie Stroumpos … Chastity Saint Cloud
• M.C. Money … M.C. Money
• Dylan Lynch … Stretch

Filming locations:

Ennis, Texas, USA

IMDb

”Don’t look behind you…’

Warlock Moon – aka Bloody Spa – is a 1973 American horror film written [as John Sykes], produced and directed by William Herbert. The Sweet Blindness Enterprises production stars Laurie Walters, Joe Spano and Edna MacAfee.

A young college student believes she had seen ghosts when she first visited an abandoned spa with a new male friend who had accosted her and “accidentally” driven her there. However, he manages to persuade her to meet him there a second time…

Reviews [may contain spoilers] :

” …Warlock Moon serves up some weird atmosphere and decent shocks, though seasoned horror fans will probably see everything coming a few minutes before it arrives. The set is appropriately creepy, the two youthful leads are energetic, and the film relies more on suggestion than gore…” Fred Beldin, All Movie

“Complemented with beautifully composed shots and an on-the-fly aloofness, the massive atmosphere takes center stage […] On its own, the dilapidated spa would make any film. Luckily, the mood is embellished with backwards sound effects, abrupt scares, and a series of supernatural events that make little sense.” Joseph A. Ziemba, Bleeding Skull!

“In spite of the its San Andreas sized flaws, and substantial lack of sagacity, this is still a decent little diversion, a film flying by the seat of its setting and damn proud of it. Writer/director Herbert has to be given some credit for trying to squeeze all the atmosphere and dread he can out of that disheveled spa location.” Bill Gibron, DVD Talk

“Stretching about five minutes of story over nearly 90 minutes of screen time, the silly and tedious Warlock Moon includes several familiar clichés of the bad-horror genre—careless characters walking blithely into obviously dangerous places, comin’-at-ya shock scenes that end up being nothing more than nonsensical narrative misdirection, and so on.” Peter Hanson, Every 70s Movie

“It’s one of those cheap films with that special inventiveness the best low budget movies from the 70s possess, with a crew of interesting actors, a sinister premise, and the perfect filming location at a rundown abandoned resort.” Groovy Doom

“It’s slowly paced and riddled with plot holes, but it’s got a breezy charm that so many movies lack, and it more than makes up for its problems. You also can’t dismiss a movie that combines ghosts, witchcraft, and cannibalism, plus a random ax wielding mute (who looks like Rob Zombie!) for good measure.” Brian W. Collins, Horror Movie a Day

“This whole film feels like a weed-fueled fever dream and moves at a very odd pace, with sudden irrational jolts breaking up all the strange comedy and endless wandering around. That method really pays off in the crazed final twenty minutes, with a number of plot turns and a fateful stroke of midnight setting this one apart from the pack a bit.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

“This is the kind of movie that would never be made today. It is independent filmmaking at its finest. This is the sort of film in which the filmmakers and actors wear their hearts on their sleeves. It may be too ambitious but it has a sense of dread, atmosphere, and suspense that is sorely missing from horror today.” Kevin Sommerfield, Slasher Studios

“Much of this flick is extremely slow but the actions of the characters are so bizarre that it is somewhat compelling. You will find yourself questioning their motivations and lack of good judgement so often that this one may actually be kind of fun if watching with a like-minded film fan.” Josh Pasnak, The Video Graveyard

 Buy DVD with Joe Bob Briggs commentary: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Cast and characters:

• Laurie Walters … Jenny Macallister / Ghost Bride
• Joe Spano … John Devers
• Edna MacAfee … Agnes Abercrombi
• Harry Bauer … Hunter
• Charles Raino … Sheriff
• Ray K. Goman … Deputy Luther
• Steve Solinsky … Axman
• Richard Vielle … Axman
• Michael Herbert … Lecturer
• Joan Zerrien … First Girl

Release:

In the USA, Warlock Moon was released and distributed by Enchanted Filmarts on September 27, 1973.

Wikipedia | IMDb

Image credits: VideoCollector.co.uk

‘Keeping your head under stressful conditions can be difficult.’

Headhunter – aka Head Hunter – is a 1988 American/South African supernatural horror movie directed by Francis Schaeffer (Wired to Kill) from a screenplay by Len Spinelli. The movie stars Kay Lenz, Wayne Crawford, Steve Kanaly and June Chadwick.

A Miami cop is downbeat because his marriage has failed and his wife has a female lover. Meanwhile, a demon from Africa arrives among Miami’s Nigerian community and begins decapitating people and possessing others…

Reviews:

“Headhunter has the foundation of a good horror movie, if only it didn’t take itself so seriously. It seems determined to be dark and atmospheric, like a low-rent Serpent and the Rainbow — an unrealistic goal when the bad guy’s wearing a hooded Halloween costume from Spencer Gifts.” Black Horror Movies

“Lenz and Crawford have decent chemistry with one another and make for likable, engaging leads. Good thing too because this is heavier on the talk than it is the action. Some scenes are tense and fairly well done (others not so much), the creature design (not seen until the last five minutes) is adequate and some of the spirit POV camerawork is pretty cool, too.” Justin McKinney, The Bloody Pit of Horror

“It’s different, it’s quite exciting and the central duo make likeable leads, even if there is a little too much of the soap opera stuff, especially at the start. It also scores kudos points for intercutting the final fight with the film that is showing, unwatched, on Hall’s TV:The Hideous Sun Demon. The plot is a tad fuzzy…” MJ Simpson, Cult films and the people who make them

“Made at the end of the Eighties, this is very much a product of its time, a wannabe video-nasty with a monster that looks like something out of Star Trek and plot holes you could drive a bus through. Probably the scariest thing about it is the acting. “I don’t know what to say,” mumbles its cop hero in one of many interminable filler scenes, which pretty much sums up the dialogue.” Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film

” …it spends an inordinate amount of time on Pete’s domestic strife with his switch-hitting ex (Chadwick), who at least marginally fits into the story in the third act. Fortunately  it manages to rally up a memorable scene every now and then including the aforementioned “take me to the river” scene and a lively finale that really has to be seen to be believed.” Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo Digital

Choice dialogue:

“Life comes so damn cheap.”

Cast and characters:

• Kay Lenz … Katherine Hall – Fear; Stripped to Kill; House
• Wayne Crawford … Pete Giullani – Snake Island (director); The Evil Below; Barracuda (The Lucifer Project); Sometimes Aunt Martha Does Dreadful Things
• Steve Kanaly … Captain Ted Calvin
• June Chadwick … Denise Giullani
• John Fatooh … Roger/Headhunter
• Gordon Mulholland … Professor Robert Sinclair
• Sam Williams … Samuel Juru
• Helena Kriel … Murphy
• Ted Le Plat … Detective Haynes – The Mangler
• John Barrett … Detective #2
• Frank Notaro … Store Clerk
• Jim Neill … Bartender
• Isaac Albert … Maniac
• Robert La Thom … Houseboy
• Al Roberts … Praying Man

IMDb

Maniac Farmer is a 2018 horror feature film written and directed by Matthew Williams (Presidents’ Day Massacre; short: The Honeymoon Suite) The WillCoFilms production stars Jake Roark, Tyler Caldwell and Jeremy Snead.

A group of street punks led by the murderous Blasphemous Rex meet their match when they choose to terrorise a seemingly helpless farmer who ends up turning the tides on the group, and the hunters become the hunted…

Cast and characters:

• Jake Roark … The Farmer
• Tyler Caldwell … Blasphemous Rex
• Jeremy Snead … Lenhardt
• Alexander Davis … Dunigan
• Hannah Davis … Dot
• Tyler Ward … Pin Pal
• Jake Mosley … Skit-Skat
• Matt McNew … Sly
• Cody Gay … Barry Yolander
• Deanna Karr … Helen Yolander
• Opal Williams … The Mother
• Doyle Huskey … Anderson
• Kat Wagers … Liquor Store Clerk

IMDb

‘See the two-headed killer creature!’

The Manster is a 1959 American horror feature film produced by George P. Breakston and directed by Breakston and Kenneth G. Crane (The Monster from Green Hell) from a screenplay by Walter J. Sheldon, based on Breakston’s story. It stars Peter Dyneley and Jane Hylton. The production was filmed in Japan and is also known as Doktor Satan (in Greece), The Split and The Two-Headed Monster.

On August 29, 2017, The Manster was released on Blu-ray by Scream Factory.

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

American foreign news correspondent Larry Stanford (Peter Dyneley) has been working out of Japan for the last few years to the detriment of his marriage. His last assignment before returning to his wife in the United States is an interview with the renowned but reclusive scientist Dr. Robert Suzuki (Tetsu Nakamura), who lives atop a volcanic mountain.

During the brief interview, Dr. Suzuki amiably discusses his work on evolution caused by sporadic cosmic rays in the atmosphere and professes that he has discovered a method for producing evolutionary change chemically.

Suzuki serves Larry a drugged libation, causing him to fall into a deep sleep. Announcing to Tara (Terri Zimmern), his voluptuous assistant, that Larry is the perfect candidate for his latest evolutionary experiments, he injects an unknown substance into Larry’s shoulder.

Upon waking, Larry is oblivious to the true situation and accepts Suzuki’s invitation to spend the next week vacationing with him around Japan. Over the next few days, Suzuki uses Tara as a beguiling distraction while conditioning Larry with mineral baths and copious amounts of alcohol, exacerbating the pain in Larry’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, Larry’s estranged wife (played by Dyneley’s actual spouse Jane Hylton) has traveled to Japan to bring him back home with her. But when confronted, Larry refuses to leave his new life of women and carousing.

After a few drinks that night Larry examines his painful shoulder to discover that a large eyeball has grown at the spot of Dr. Suzuki’s injection…

Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Reviews:

” …one of those films that’s considered a bad movie favorite despite the fact it’s actually not really a bad movie. Sure, it’s utterly ridiculous and has some unintentional laughs here and there, but it’s not poorly made and there’s genuine imagination at work here. Some scenes are surprising and borderline surreal…” Justin McKinney, The Bloody Pit of Horror

” …easily one of the sleaziest, most enjoyably awful pieces of late 50s exploitation nonsense ever conceived. The filmmakers refusal to create a sympathetic protagonist was a ballsy move for the time and the blatant extra-marital sex jabs is racy stuff for a trashy monster picture that aspires for little else than shock value.” Cool Ass Cinema

“…it’s not very classy, but it’s certainly exciting, gory, racy, extreme, at times ironically funny, at times shocking and frightening […] The action is steady and body count high. A good score featuring a theremin accentuates the most freakish moments.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca

” …The Manster is a Jekyll and Hyde film – if you can imagine a crosshatch between a two-headed transplant film, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Lost Weekend (1945). This is a Dr Jekyll variant where the decent ordinary man is not just struggling with his dark side but one that is also polarised into a struggle between Japanese and American cultures.” Richard Scheib, Moria

” …beyond its trashy visuals, The Manster is still a sombre tale. As a metaphor for the destructive effects of alcoholism (or any drug in general) the film makes pretty good points; and as a sci-fi tragedy, the movies does work nicely if one gets past its cheap visual look. More ambitious than its budget allowed it to be, The Manster is by no means a great film; however, despite its many obvious flaws, this offbeat “Jekyll and Hyde” tale is certainly worth a watch.” J Luis Rivera, W-Cinema

“Manster is a favorite among campy horror aficionados and for good reason as it is both unintentionally funny and genuinely creepy…Wait till you see the climax, with the hero battling himself on the edge of a live volcano” Hal Erickson, All Movie

“Seeing a guy with a blinking eye on his shoulder, then a ghastly second head, then an actual body split (the second head becomes a furry ape) made this pretty unforgettable. Shot entirely in Japan, the film is talky at times, but the last few minutes are totally insane. There’s also the added bonus of Suzuki’s horrifying (and very loud!) mutant wife (a sagging, protruding fleshy eye socket: nasty!) being kept in a laboratory cage.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

“A very unusual film which is loaded with weird Freudian images and unnerving atmosphere, and found its influence on a generation of horror films, including War of the Gargantuas, Army of Darkness, and How to Get Ahead in Advertising.” Videohound’s Complete Guide to Cult Flicks and Trash Pics

Cast and characters:

• Peter Dyneley … Larry Stanford
• Jane Hylton … Linda Stanford – Circus of Horrors
• Tetsu Nakamura … Dr. Robert Suzuki
• Terri Zimmern … Tara
• Norman Van Hawley … Ian Matthews
• Jerry Ito … Police Supt. Aida
• Toyoko Takechi … Emiko Suzuki
• Kenzo Kuroki … Genji Suzuki
• Alan Tarlton … Doctor H.B. Jennsen
• Shinpei Takagi … Temple Priest
• George Wyman … Monster

Filming locations:

Japan

Buy A3 poster from Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Image credits: The Telltale Mind

New and future releases

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Down a Dark Hall is a 2018 American supernatural horror feature film directed by Rodrigo Cortés (Red Lights; Buried) from a screenplay by Michael Goldbach and Chris Sparling, based on the Lois Duncan novel of the same name. The movie stars Uma Thurman, AnnaSophia Robb, Isabelle Fuhrman and Taylor Russell.

Katherine ‘Kit’ Gordy (AnnaSophia Robb), a new student at the Blackwood Boarding School, uncovers sinister supernatural phenomena brought about by the dark powers of the institute’s headmistress…

The film is scheduled to be released on August 17, 2018, by Lionsgate Premiere.

Main cast and characters:

• AnnaSophia Robb … Katherine “Kit” Gordy
• Uma Thurman
• Isabelle Fuhrman … Izzy
• Kirsty Mitchell … Ginny Dabrowski
• Taylor Russell
• Rebecca Front
• Jim Sturgeon … Dave Dabrowski
• Victoria Moroles … Veronica
• Noah Silver … Jules

Production companies:

• Fickle Fish Films
• Nostromo Pictures
• Temple Hill Entertainment

Filming locations:

Principal photography began on October 2016 in Barcelona. After four weeks of shooting in Barcelona and two weeks in the Canary Islands, filming ended in December 2016.

Buy: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb

Horrorible Kids are parody trading cards featuring icon horror characters designed by artist and animator Mark Pingitore (Wacky Packages; Garbage Pail Kids trading cards) for his Magic Marker Art company.

There are ninety trading cards in the series: forty-five characters, each with an “a” and “b” alias. They are available in single packs, 5-packs and 24-pack boxes, plus there is a retro-style collector album.

Pre-order Horrorible Kids from Magic Marker Art for an expected shipping date in July 2018.

Thanks to Bloody Disgusting

‘The reflection of darkness’

Aks (Urdu: عکس) is a 2018 Pakistani 3D supernatural horror feature film written, directed and produced by Asif Pervez. The film features Roman Khan, Faiza Asif, Arslan Sheraz, Jyoti Dagar, Nidhi Kumar and Fahad Rajpoot.

Two newly married couples go for a gateway to visit an abandoned village. However, bad things begin happening when they realise the place is haunted…

Cast and characters:

• Roman Khan … Rayan
• Faiza Asif … Aleesha
• Arslan Sheraz … Daniyal
• Jyoti Dagar … Sophie
• Fahad Rajpoot … Professor Shareef
• Araj Hassan … Mr.X
• Farwa Shah … Sara Khan
• Nidhi Kumar … Zoya
• Meera … Meera [guest appearance]

Release:

The film was originally slated for release in December 2017. After filming was completed, it was confirmed that it was scheduled for release in February 2018. However, this has since been delayed to an unspecified date…

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook | Twitter

‘If you talk or text you’re next!’

Shhhh – aka Shhhh! – is a 2018 American comedy horror feature film written, co-produced and directed by Jason Rutherford. The East Sierra Films production stars James Henderson, Tiana Cara and Peter Stickles.

Death Waltz Record’s Umberto provided the synth score.

Harris (James Henderson) and his mother (Diane Ayala Goldner) love the movies, but sometimes other audience members spoil things; when disruptive filmgoers start dropping like flies, Harris finds himself confronting his past and questioning his sanity…

On May 16, 2018, Shhhh was released on Amazon Prime, iTunes and Google Play.

Cast and characters:

• Diane Ayala Goldner … Katherine Holden – Feast
• James Henderson … Harris Holden
• Tiana Cara … Heather Ransit
• Jonny Von Golden … Segar
• Nicole Hawkins … Ingrid
• Peter Stickles … Schoenberg – Evil Bong 3; Gingerdead Man 3
• Mike Endes … Schmidt
• Joe Pilato … Red Harling – Day of the Dead
• Austin Stoker … Dave
• Kitten Natividad … Pearl – Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens
• Stefan Ross … Anson
• Camille Calvin … Tanzenia
• Roy Fere … Tall Guy
• Chantelle Landais … Lady with the baby
• G. Larry Butler … Old Man with the bags
• Lloyd Kaufman … Jim the Landlord
• Robert Vincent O’Neill … Peter Post – Blood Mania; The Psycho Lover
• Chris Fox … Ray Harling
• Maria Olsen … Ghoul on train – Starry Eyes; The Lords of Salem; et al
• Eric Caidin … Myron
• Molly Nikki Anderson … Lesbian Vampire #1 / Stripper – Children of the Corn: Runaway; Piranha 3DD
• Elissa Dowling … Lesbian Vampire #2 – Bus Party to Hell; We Are Still Here; et al
• Tesa McMillion – Lesbian Vampire #2 / Bartender

IMDb | Facebook

‘The doctor will see you now’

Harvest of the Dead is a 2015 British horror anthology feature film directed by Peter Goddard (Clownsploitation; Maniacal; Any Minute Now; Season of the Witch; et al) and Sam Mason-Bell (Home Videos and sequel; Toxic Schlock; The 12 Slays of Christmas; et al) from a screenplay by Terence Elliott and Peter Goddard. The Devils Avalanche Films production stars Fiona Fox, Holly Ransom and Hannah Coley.

Four teenagers, Amy, Melissa, Hailey and Tess venture out into the British countryside for a weekend camping. After a while, it becomes clear that they are not alone as an unknown figure watches them.

The first night they sit around the campfire and tell each other scary stories. One involves a strange video they saw on the internet, another involves possessed pumpkins and the final tells the tale of The Plague Doctor.

Slowly, over the next day, each girl is killed, one by one, until only Amy survives. Drugged, she awakes in a strange room and suddenly the real terror begins…

Harvest of the Dead is released on DVD by Video Music on September 11, 2018.

Buy DVD: Amazon.com

Reviews:

“Pumpkin Pie is a particularly haunting short and the film does have enough variety to entertain any horror fan however they do also vary in quality, not through their story but again, reflect on the tight budget that becomes obvious at times. Despite this, there is plenty of entertainment…” Martyn Wakefield, Bloodguts

“Harvest of the Dead is a fun and gruesome addition to the slasher genre. The movie benefits from not taking itself too seriously whilst splashing out copious amounts of the claret for the hungry gore hounds. Fans of Goddard’s previous work might regard this as his greatest hits package. It reflects on the same issues and styles as before but also injects a healthy splatter of humour.” David Gillespie, Horror Cult Films

Cast and characters:

• Fiona Fox … Amy Summers
• Holly Ransom … Haley Mills
• Hannah Coley … Melissa Smart
• Julie Grant … Tess Pitt
• Tim Faraday … Henry Moore
• James Parr … Toby Moore
• Laura Covey … Kayleigh Taylor
• Lee Craven … Gary the photographer
• Gemma Wilks …The Creature
• Abby Wareham …Tia McCulloch

Filming locations:

New Forest, Hampshire, England, UK

Trivia:

The film’s working title was The Devil’s Harvest

IMDb

‘It’s nine times more suspenseful’

The Cat o’ Nine Tails – original title: Il gatto a nove code – is a 1971 Italian/French/German giallo thriller film written and directed by Dario Argento, adapted from a story by Dardano Sacchetti, Luigi Cozzi, and an uncredited Bryan Edgar Wallace. It stars Karl Malden, James Franciscus, and Catherine Spaak.

Although it is the middle entry in Argento’s so-called “Animal Trilogy” (along with The Bird with the Crystal Plumage and Four Flies on Grey Velvet), the titular “cat o’ nine tails” does not directly refer to a literal cat, nor to a literal multi-tailed whip; rather, it refers to the number of leads that the protagonists follow in the attempt to solve a murder.

Though successful in Europe, it was poorly received in the United States. Argento admitted in the book Broken Mirrors, Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento that he was less than pleased with the film, and has repeatedly cited it as his least favourite of all of his films.

The Cat O’ Nine Tails is receiving a brand new 4K restoration and the Limited Edition treatment for release in January 2018.

• Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
• Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc)
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman
• New interviews with co-writer/director Dario Argento, co-writer Dardano Sacchetti, actress Cinzia De Carolis and production manager Angelo Iacono
• Script pages for the lost original ending, translated into English for the first time
• Original Italian and international theatrical trailers
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Candice Tripp
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• 4 lobby card reproductions
• Limited edition booklet illustrated by Matt Griffin, featuring an essay on the film by Dario Argento, and new writing by Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth and Howard Hughes

Franco Arnò (Karl Malden), a middle-aged blind man, is out at night walking with his niece Lori (Cinzia De Carolis) when he overhears a man in a parked car mention blackmail. After Franco and Lori return home, the man in the car gets out and breaks into a large medical complex, the Terzi Institute. The following day, the police and reporter Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus) investigate the break-in, Carlo introducing himself to Franco during a run-in.

Meanwhile, Dr. Calabresi (Carlo Alighiero) looks at his files in his office and phones someone and agrees to meet with him. Calabresi tells his fiancee Bianca Merusi (Rada Rassimov) that he knows who broke into the institute and what was taken, but does not wish to tell anyone yet, saying it could mean a “big step forward”.

At a train station, while a group of reporters are waiting for a celebrity to arrive by train, the man approaches Calabresi and pushes him onto the tracks. Lori reads the newspaper for Franco about Calabresi’s “accidental death,” describing the picture and telling him that Giordani wrote the article.

The two of them go to see the reporter at his office and ask if the picture has been cropped. Carlo calls Righetto (Vittorio Congia), the paparazzi photographer who snapped the picture. Righetto goes back to the original and sees a moving hand-arm in the far left of the frame. As he prepares to print the photograph, he is strangled to death with a cord…

Reviews:

” …Argento’s sheer prowess as a filmmaker carries it past the doldrums of genre norm and transforms an otherwise routine story into something that’s at the very least watchable, and is at its very best captivating but not necessarily intense or even all that memorable.” Martin Liebman, Blu-ray.com

” …a well-meaning, entertaining giallo that’s not nearly as graphic or overblown as some of his later work. The script is neatly concocted, and the film has a more controlled, Hitchcock-style ambiance to it. Karl Malden and James Franciscus are extremely satisfactory in their roles.” George R. Reis, DVD Drive-In

” there are some marvellous moments of sheer Argento style: the early break-in to the institute, with its attention to minutiae such as locks being picked and shadows being chased along white walls; a show-stopping rail station murder which benefits from some sterling editing work; the excellent finale and its taut employment of atmospheric compositions.” Stuart Willis, Sex Gore Mutants

“Handsome film helped by a beautiful score from the amazing Ennio Morricone…a work as haunting as anything he did for the famous spaghetti westerns. Malden and Franciscus are both captivating performers, memorable ‘hands on’ climax.” The Terror Trap

Cast and characters:

• James Franciscus as Carlo Giordani
• Karl Malden as Franco Arnò
• Catherine Spaak as Anna Terzi
• Pier Paolo Capponi as Police Supt. Spimi
• Horst Frank as Dr. Braun
• Rada Rassimov as Bianca Merusi
• Tino Carraro as Professor Fulvio Terzi
• Cinzia De Carolis as Lori
• Aldo Regianni as Dr. Casoni
• Carlo Alighiero as Dr. Calabresi
• Vittorio Congia as Righetto
• Ugo Fangareggi as Gigi the Loser
• Tom Felleghy as Dr. Esson
• Emilio Marchisini as Dr. Mombelli
• Werner Pochath as Manuel
• Fulvio Mingozzi as Spimi’s man
• Corrado Olmi as Morsella
• Pino Patti as Barber

Filming locations:

Berlin, West Germany
Turin, and at Cinecitta Studios in Rome, Italy

Wikipedia | IMDb

Sargad (translation: “Wounded”) is a 2017 Swedish exploitation horror feature film directed by Andres R. Ramos from a screenplay by Sarah Giercksky, who also stars. The Bloody Fierce Productions movie also Jesper Hell, Xander Turian and Alicia Henriksson.

A young woman, Elina, drives to a remote cabin with her mom and younger sister to spread her father’s ashes. They encounter three brothers that make their weekend a living hell…

Reviews:

“Sargad obviously didn’t have much of a budget. It shows from time to time. There are problems with quality in some scenes and not in other so there’s not that natural consistency in it. Sometimes it’s dark and the next scene has lights. Most of the time it works.” Tommy Snöberg Söderberg, Active Context

” …it’s hard to overlook the parallels with I Spit on Your Grave when watching Sargad, what with the female avenger and the backwood settings and all, but at the same time one can’t deny that this is a very tightly scripted thriller in its own right carried by atmospheric settings, relatable characters, and violence and gore that really hurt.” Mike Haberfelner, Search My Trash

Cast and characters:

• Sarah Giercksky … Elina
• Jesper Hell … Alexander
• Xander Turian … Oliver
• Alicia Henriksson … Agnieszka (aka Aga)
• Tindra Hedlund … Lily
• Krister Twizz Forsberg … Marcus
• Oscar Rusanen … John
• Birgitta Nord … Marit

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The Mermaid: Lake of the Dead  – original title: Rusalka: Ozero myortvykh – is a 2018 Russian fantasy horror feature film directed by Svyatoslav Podgaevskiy (The Bride; Queen of Spades: The Dark Rite) from a screenplay co-written with Natalya Dubovaya and Ivan Kapitonov. It stars Viktoriya Agalakova, Igor Khripunov and Efim Petrunin.

An evil mermaid falls in love with Marina’s fiancé Roman and aims to snatch him away from Marina in her underwater Kingdom of Death. The mermaid is a young woman who drowned a few centuries ago.

Marina only has one week to overcome her fear of the dark water, to remain human in the deathly fight with the monsters and not to become one herself…

IMDb