Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-ray

In the fall, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will bring the Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection to Blu-ray. This eight-disc, limited-edition box set compiles nine films from the studio's venerated horror movie catalog, all of which make their respective U.S. Blu-ray debuts through this package.blu-ray.com source

The films include:
Dracula (1931)
Drácula [Spanish-language version] (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Mummy (1932)
The Invisible Man (1933)
Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
The Wolf Man (1941)
Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Creature from the Black Lagoon (3-D, 1954)

Juan Of The Dead

“Shaun of the Dead” set the bar incredibly high for what has come to be known as the “zombedy”. It is by far a prime example of the genre and still reigns supreme. Since then, there have been a slew of zombedies that have ranged from horrible to hilarious but lacked the heart and soul of “Shaun”. The zombie film that I have been most looking forward to seeing the past year has been “Juan of the Dead”. Not only is it Cuba’s first zombie film, it’s the first film since “Shaun” (the “Juan of the Dead” title is an obvious homage) to capture that heart and soul. It’s chock full of hilarity and political satire that would make George Romero proud.

Juan (Alexis Diaz de Villegas) is a slacker. He doesn’t work and spends most his time drinking, fishing, thieving, and fornicating with the married neighbor lady. He, along with his pal Lazaro have a simple life in Havana. That is until they realize that something strange is happening. You see, the dead are roaming the streets and are hungry for flesh. Juan is ready to rise to the occasion…..for a small fee that is. On their adventure they have Lazaro’s son Vladi, Juan’s daughter Camila (Andrea Duro), cross-dressing China (Jazz Vila), and muscle bound beast Primo (Eliecer Ramirez). When business begins to slow down they are faced with the choice on if they should stay and fight or flee to Miami.

The key to a successful film like this is to have characters that you enjoy investing your time in. Juan is basically a loser, a screw up. The film is very much his story and we see a full arc of progression for him. He and Lazaro make some very questionable decisions, though we doubt their integrity, the result of their actions is often hilarious. I’ve heard some people complaining about the main characters being unlikable and I disagree. They never really change who they are but they have the opportunity to redeem themselves and that is part of why I loved the film so much.

There are some really great gags in the film. At least two I had never seen before.One of the gags I enjoyed was with the character Primo. This guy is just a monster of a man, just huge with tattoos on his face. Yet he faints every single time he sees blood. Some really funny moments arise from it. The zombie make-up looked really good and most the CGI was used when needed and looked much better than average. The film has a very polished look and the $3 million they spent on the film was put to great use. One of my favorite scenes is the hordes of zombies walking along the ocean floor.

Director Alejandro Brugues also found it important to follow in the footsteps of the genres godfather, Mr. George Romero, and fill the film with political commentary. Swipes are taken at Castro, the U.S government, and still manages to show that the Cuban people are strong in the face of adversity.

“Juan of the Dead” was everything I had hoped it would be. Sometimes anticipation is your worst enemy when waiting to see something since the majority of the time you end up disappointed and the film never lives up to our own ridiculous standards. This time, the film does. Everything is dealt out in portions that were always just enough. We all know the saying about too much of a good thing, “Juan of the Dead” was always just enough, a perfect blend of humor, horror, and commentary.and a film that is destined to become not only a milestone in Cuban film history as well as a modern classic of the genre. This is one you shouldn’t miss.by zman

Horror Comedy The Selling Comes Home

Emily Lou’s horror comedy The Selling is finally making its way towards a U.S. release date, and we have all the details you need below.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, GoDigital has picked up the comedy horror feature The Selling for a VOD release date this August 21st.

The film stars Gabriel Diani, Janet Varney, Jonathan Klein, Etta Devine, With Nancy Lenehan and Barry Bostwick as “Father Jimmy”.

Synopsis: “A too honest for his own good real estate agent must sell a haunted house before its ghostly inhabitants ruin his life.”

Unfortunately the trailer has been set to private, but if you turn your attention HERE, you can check it out.

For more information, hit up their official Facebook page.by deth_banger

"THE RENEVANT" Coming In August

Lightning Entertainment has struck a deal with notable New York-based independent distribution company Paladin to handle the theatrical release of the award-winning horror comedy THE REVENANT, it was announced today by Lightning president Robert Beaumont, and Paladin’s president Mark Urman.

Paladin plans to release the film theatrically in August in an initial 10 markets. That same day, the film will be available as a premium V.O.D., as part of an event driven day-and-date Ultra VOD bow through Lightning’s distribution arm, Lightning Media. The DVD will be released through Lionsgate under Lightning Media’s on-going partnership with the company.

A horror comedy in the vein of SHAUN OF THE DEAD and ZOMBIELAND, THE REVENANT tells the story of a soldier and his slacker best friend who become zombies, and then use their newfound powers to become vigilante crime fighters with hilariously mixed results when their adventures become more complicated and bloody than expected. A breakout hit on the film festival circuit, THE REVENANT has garnered exceptional reviews and won numerous awards including the Best Director and Audience Awards at Fantastic Fest and Zompire,and the Audience Award at CineVegas; and played to packed houses at top festivals like Sitges, the Brussels International Film Fest, and the Fantasia Film Festival. “We are thrilled that THE REVENANT has found a theatrical home at Paladin,” said Beaumont. “Mark’s prowess in theatrical distribution, as well as his well-honed skills in the U.S. independent marketplace
by thebigbadwolf

Gratwick Films The Perfect House

Lots of films are made without money, studio backing, Hollywood contacts or professional actors every year, but very few have the polish and cache of Gratwick Films groundbreaking independent feature film "The Perfect House".

"The Perfect House" marks the official feature directorial debut of Buffalo (NY) native Kris Hulbert, but also makes cinematic history in filmmaking as the world' s first indie feature film to ever premiere on an independent-movie distribution platform built for Facebook.

Written/Produced by Kris Hubert and Co-directed by the latter and Randy Kent, "The Perfect House" is the buzz-heavy anthology horror movie about a dream-house with a hidden dark past. The film features an ensemble cast including Jonathan Tiersten, Andrea Vahl, Chris Raab aka "Raab Himself", Will Robertson, John Philbin, Becky Friedman, Hans Hernke, Holly Greene, Dustin Stevens, Jamie Lee Baker and Angelina Leigh, to name a few. Currently available on Facebook for only $3, "The Perfect House" is continuing its successful interactive run. It will next be released on DVD July 17 and on VOD on October 1, 2012.
by thebigbadwolf

THE GATE in Production

Below is the scifi-horror short, THE GATE, that you really need to check out. THE GATE is written and directed by Matt Westrup and stars John Mawson, Robert Rowe, and Tryphena Russel and in it’s short running time contains violent genetic mutations, robotic-powered armor, and some great looking CG creatures, and a few genuine scares!! And if you like it (which I’m sure you will) there’s great news … THE GATE is being developed into a feature-length film that Wayfare Entertainment will produce. I haven’t been this excited over a horror short in a really long time!!

The Collapsed

Post-apocalyptic America. The zombie apocalypse. These are all themes of the coming of the end of days, end of civilization, and the end of humanity as we know it, thus making for a rather solid setting for a movie. From THE ROAD to most recently, THE DIVIDE, these type of flicks generally invoke responses of terror, horror, and maybe most of all, depression. Yup, these movies are depressing as f*ck. And then there’s THE COLLAPSED, a super low-budget indie flick that plays up the end of the world, but with a small twist that sort of sets it apart from the pack.
The film follows a family of four (parents and their 2 adult children) as they attempt to survive the apocalypse by heading into the forest and taking their chances with nature. Ok, so it starts out like THE ROAD or even THE WALKING DEAD in some regards, but let’s face it—for a low budget flick, it’s the best situation possible as there’s not much to fake in terms of showing a forest void of people. Masked men with machine guns are on their tale as well as another unseen and deadly force, which is likely the reason for the whole end of humanity to begin with, is also amongst them in the woods (again, THE ROAD comes to mind with the crazy f*ckers in the woods chasing them down).

So as a concept, THE COLLAPSED works really well. The filmmaking is top notch, the cinematography is polished, and it feels like a big budget Hollywood picture. They also do this thing with focusing on the woods and their whole environment that was actually pretty cool. Also, the musical score is actually spot-on, as it adds to most of the film’s tension, escalating moments that would normally not be that big of a deal into something more.

However, what almost out-right killed this movie for me were the performances of the entire cast (save for the main dude, who was merely mediocre). The mother being the worse, with the daughter not far behind—seriously, these two were painful to watch. Every time they opened their mouths I felt like I was watching some high school drama production, only worse. And the mom—she didn’t even have to open her mouth to start being extraordinarily annoying and not worth a grain of salt in the acting department. Seriously, how did they get this gig? She had to of have been the only one to audition because these two were just ridiculous. So ridiculous that they practically made the movie unwatchable—lucky for us, they’re not in the entire thing. That said, the brother isn’t all that much better, nor are “the others” that show up at the end. For as solid as the production and the filmmaking is (for their budget and whatnot), the performances by the actors almost ruin the whole thing.

That aside, THE COLLAPSED offers what you’d expect to get out of a post-apocalyptic movie with a pretty good twist at the end that I only slightly saw coming. It’s a small film that aims to do big things and does so for the most part, making it a watchable experience overall, through I was keeping an eye on the clock as it drags here and there.byammon gilbert

FANTASIA FEST 2012

Fantasia International Film Festival is gearing up to take Montreal by storm

with three weeks of inspiration and thrills starting July 19, 2012. The full 2012 lineup of programming and special events will be revealed next month, but the fest has sent out a press release announcing its First Wave of Programming to whet your appetite.

If They Came From Within: An Alternative History of Canadian Horror Movies

Cinematheque Quebecoise, July 20– July 29
Opening gala July 20, 5PM

Imagine an alternative universe of Canadian horror movies that didn't get made, couldn't get made and maybe even shouldn't get made... but we'd still love to see.

Rue Morgue magazine Editor-in-Chief Dave Alexander brings together some of Canada and Quebec’s most celebrated genre filmmakers with some of the country’s best designers and illustrators to create a gallery of poster art for Maple Syrup genre films that don’t exist.

Jason Eisener (HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN) dreams up a post-apocalyptic, gangster, man-fish odyssey. Vincenzo Natali (SPLICE) offers his own cross-border version of BLUE SUNSHINE. Maurice Devereaux (END OF THE LINE) draws on Quebec folklore for a story of a supernatural child-killer named the Bonesetter. Bruce McDonald (HARDCORE LOGO) and author Tony Burgess (PEOPLE STILL LIVE IN CASHTOWN CORNERS) imagine two sequels to PONTYPOOL (the first of which is actually a part of Fantasia’s new international co-production market!). Lee Demarbre (SMASH CUT) brings sex, cannibalism and espionage to Parliament Hill in his hoser-happy EMANNUELLE movie. Plus more from filmmakers Eric Tessier (5150 ELM’S WAY), Karim Hussain (LA BELLE BETE, cinematographer of Brandon Cronenberg’s ANTIVIRAL), Astron-6 (FATHER’S DAY), Rodrigo Gudiño (THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MISTER HOLLOW), George Mihalka (MY BLOODY VALENTINE), Brett Kelly (MY DEAD GIRLFRIEND, Donna Davis (NIGHTMARE FACTORY) and several from Alexander himself.

Featuring original art created by: Rupert Bottenberg, Angus Byers, Donald Caron, Jason Edmiston, Justin Erickson, Vince Marconi, Mathew Marigold, Richard Patmore, Martin Plante, Ghoulish Gary Pullin, Paige Reynolds, Eric Robillard, Mathew Verreault, Adam Vierra, Mark Unterberger and James White.

Expect additional multimedia surprises, including original soundtrack recordings from Montreal musician Conrad Simon.

Montrealers will get a special chance to see this first, with many of the creators present, before the show embarks on a nationwide gallery tour.

FANTASIA LOVES JENNIFER LYNCH

From the day she exploded onto the scene with the largely misunderstood and still-controversial BOXING HELENA nineteen years ago, Jennifer Lynch has been a spellbinding iconoclast on the American indie landscape, her provocative approach to filmmaking seeing her alternately championed and demonized. She is a fascinating filmmaker who has made but several works across her near-twenty year career. Each have been standouts, their connective tissues threaded in baroque aesthetics, unconventional performance styles, darkly eccentric streaks of humour and subversively compelling gazes into our capacities for cruelty, obsession and sexual deviancy. This year, Fantasia will celebrate the wildly individualistic work of Jennifer Lynch with a pair of special screenings: First up is the world premiere of Lynch’s brand new production, CHAINED, which stars Vincent D’onofrio as a taxi driving serial killer who abducts a young boy and raises him as his son – fully expecting the child to grow into being a mass murderer himself. In Lynch’s hands, what could have been a simple “how to make a monster” serial killer film turns into a black discourse on parenthood and instinct.

Also starring is Eamon Farren and Julia Ormond, the latter reteaming with Lynch after 2008’s brilliant SURVEILLANCE. Fantasia will also be presenting the Quebec premiere of Australian filmmaker Penny Vosniak’s recent Hot Docs smash DESPITE THE GODS, which documents Lynch’s star-crossed adventures in India directing HISSS, an ambitious Bollywood film (and a rare Bollywood/US co-production) whose production spiraled out of control due to producer mismanagement and various twists of fate. It is one of the strongest films about the trials and madness of moviemaking that you will ever encounter. Screenings of both films will be hosted by Jennifer Lynch.

MARK HAMILL & TONY TODD ARE COMING TO TOWN WITH “SUSHI GIRL”

Among the 150+ feature film lineup, Fantasia will be presenting the international premiere of Kern Saxton’s hotly anticipated crime thriller SUSHI GIRL, featuring Mark Hamill in a startlingly sinister lead.

Hamill’s portrayal of Luke Skywalker in the originating STAR WARS trilogy is one of the most iconic performances in Fantastic Film history and remains among the most beloved screen characters in the annals of pop culture.

SUSHI GIRL was produced by - and co-stars – the inimitable Tony Todd (CANDYMAN, the FINAL DESTINATION films). Also appearing in the film are Noah Hathaway (THE NEVERENDING STORY, James Duvall (DONNIE DARKO), Danny Trejo (MACHETE), Michael Biehn (THE TERMINATOR) and none other than Sonny Chiba (STREET FIGHTER).

Hosting the Fantasia launch will be Mark Hamill, Tony Todd, Michael Biehn and Kern Saxton – with additional guests to be announced!

AN EXPANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM LINEUP

The popular “Documentaries From the Edge” section returns to Fantasia’s 2012 lineup, larger and more compelling than ever. Here’s a two-title tease of what you can expect:

WE ARE LEGION: THE STORY OF THE HACKTIVISTS (Quebec Premiere) - Dir: Brian Knappenberger A standout at SXSW, Hot Docs, Slamdance and The Calgary Underground Film Festival, this captivating film traces the history of hacktivism and explores the motives and missions of Anonymous, veritable superheroes of digital activism who’ve taken on everything from oppressive dictatorships to Pay Pal and the Church of Scientology and have recently been making significant headlines in Quebec. This screening will be presented in association with Cinema Politica (www.cinemapolitica.org).

MY AMITYVILLE HORROR – Dir: Eric Walter For the first time in 35 years, Daniel Lutz recounts his version of the infamous Amityville haunting that terrified his family in 1975, when he was only 8 years old. This documentary, the result of over ten years of independent research, reveals the horror Lutz experienced growing up in the center of a world famous haunting. As much as this is a film about the paranormal, complete with eerie photographic documentations, it’s every bit as much about the terrible effects that mass international media exposure can have on a family.

Fantasia’s complete 2012 documentary lineup will be announced in just a few weeks.by eric walkuski

'American Horror Story' Season 2

You

knew that Jessica Lange would return for more "American Horror Story" in Season 2 of the hit FX anthology series, but new details about who she'll be playing have emerged.

Here's what we know: The second season will be set on the East Coast, in an insane asylum in 1960s, and in an interview with MTV, "American Horror Story" writer Tim Minear revealed that Lange's character is nothing like Season 1 bad girl Constance.

"She's not playing this kind of ersatz Tennessee Williams character this time," he said. "She's playing something that's a little more East Coast, a little more patrician."

the darkly-motivated antagonist of the show's first season, Lange's new persona is much more pure and innocent. "She's playing a nun," he said. "She's playing an administrator of a facility. It's different. In this instance, she's a bride of Christ."

But Lange isn't the only familiar face returning to "AHS." In May, showrunner Ryan Murphy let us know that Evan Peters, who played "ultimate badass bad boy" Tate Langdon, will be "the hero of the show" in the second season. "It’s not like the actors are playing similar parts. They’re going to look different, they’re going to sound different, they’re going to have different accents," Murphy explained to Vulture. "It’s a different time period. The actors are so excited to do that.

In addition to Lange and Peters, stars Zachary Quinto, Lily Rabe and Sarah Paulson will be back for Season 2. Meanwhile, Chloe Sevigny, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and James Cromwell will also join the "American Horror Story" cast. Levine recently gave E! Online the scoop on his character.

"I'm newly married, and I go with my wife on our honeymoon," Levine teased. "I don't want to tell you too much and it and actually I should shut my mouth because will freak out, but it's gory…it sounds like so much fun and that's why I wanted to do it. I was like, this doesn't even sound like acting; this sounds, like, hysterical, funny, dark and cool and right up my alley."

Relatively unknown French actress named Lizzie Brocheré will be playing a femme fatale named Gia.

don't get too attached to these characters. As Minear reminded, when it comes to "American Horror Story," no one is safe. The writer revealed that when he was approached to write for the show, he had reservations about turning Murphy's idea into a television series.

House Of Wax 2 Coming Soon ?

Joel Silver and Jaume Collet-Serra were doing some press work over the weekend and Silver was asked about a possible sequel to "House of Wax". It's alittle early to ask that though right? The movie hasn't even been released yet but people are already asking for a sequel. Well check out what he told Dark Horizons:

"At Dark Castle we don't make any sequels. There will be "The Reaping" as a sequel, it has nothing to do with it [House of Wax], it's just that's why we made Dark Castle. I've been involved in a bunch

of sequels and they may have been commercially successful but they weren't successful to me. With the Matrix...they weren't really a sequel they were serial fiction. To create another movie after another one is over just because it was successful I'm not going to do that."

"Night Of The Living Dead" Limited Edition Blu-Ray October 9, 2012

Seven people are trapped in an isolated farmhouse and living an unspeakable nightmare. Cannibalistic zombies have been awakened from the dead and are on a relentless killing and eating binge.

Prometheus Coming To Blu-ray October 9, 2012

Synopsis: In the distant future, two superpowers control Earth and fight each other for all the solar system's natural resources. When one side dispatches a team to a distant planet to terraform it for human colonization, the team discovers an indigenous race of bio-mechanoid killers

Rob Zombie to Make 1970's Philadelphia Flyers?

Rob Zombie is set to direct a film

about the Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s

we'll soon get to see what the famous heavy metal musician can cook up, as he'll be writing, directing and producing a film called Broad Street Bullies, deadline.com reports.


This isn't Zombie's first film endeavor, as he also directed House Of 1000 Corpses and Halloween, but it'll certainly be a new direction. The Broad Street Bullies, of course, were known for their punishing play, but a sports film is a stark contrast from the demonic music and horror movies that Zombie is usually associated with.

Zombie is excited for the challenge, though, having already secured the rights, as well as the support of the Flyers organization. He reportedly likened the tone of the tale to Rocky meets Boogie Nights on ice.

"Each character involved is more outrageous than the next," Zombie reportedly said. "The backdrop of the turbulent year of 1974 is perfect for this 'stranger than fiction' sports tale."

Zombie will reportedly produce with Andy Gould, Les Borsai and Jeremy Platt, and they are

ALIEN Blu-Ray $9.99

Science Behind Scary Movies

The scariest part of a horror film often is waiting for it to start. You hear the premise (The Sixth Sense's) or see the trailer (a ghostly image on a TV screen for The Ring), and your palms sweat. Standing in line, you glance around to see if anyone else has that anguished look. By the time the film begins, you're a nervous wreck. What movie could match your nightmare of anticipation?

For two decades, horror movies have been R-rated snuff cartoons with severed limbs and buckets of blood. The Freddy and Jason films and the Chainsaw Massacres appeal to the connoisseurs of special-effects gore. Every item is laid out for you to see, like the carcasses in a butcher's window.

But there's another kind of horror, a subtler, more seductive and lingering kind. "Whether it's Polanski's Repulsion or Rosemary's Baby or Kubrick's The Shining," says former Fox studio boss Bill Mechanic, "some of the best horror movies had a certain elegance to them." These films tell you that what you don't know or notice can hurt you. They are to the gore fests as romantic dramas are to porn. They are about mood, atmosphere, the notion that death is everywhere and inevitable.

Gross-out horror movies are essentially facetious; the more artful films are dread serious. "For me," says M. Night Shyamalan, who revived the ghost-story trend with The Sixth Sense in 1999, "the challenge is taking a B-movie subject like ghosts or aliens or monsters in the woods and treating it with absolute respect and sincerity." And at their heart, they have an all-too-human sadness. "There may be a bit more acceptance of horror because of what's going on in the world today," says George Romero, director of the classic Night of the Living Dead. "When people feel threatened, they either go to pure entertainment or to something that might strike a chord with the fears they have in real life."

The trick of dread movies is to take ordinary events and invest them with the unbeatable combination of must-see and can't-bear-to-look. Go on, take a stroll in the woods (in Shyamalan's The Village) when you've been told that monsters lurk there. Or a dip in the ocean (in the low-budget thriller Open Water) when you're left stranded as shark bait. Try to wash out that feeling of dread by shampooing your hair (in the Japanese spookathon Ju-on: The Grudge). You begin to rub in the shampoo--and for a moment you feel a third hand, corpse cold, massaging your scalp.


Just now, grown-up horror is frightfully chic. The Village, which Shyamalan describes as "a Grimm fairy tale--Little Red Riding Hood, but an adult, dark version of it," creeps into theaters this week, followed by Open Water. Ju-on has opened in New York City and Los Angeles and spreads to a dozen cities next month. Soon we'll see an assault of Hollywood remakes of Japanese horror films. The Ring 2, a sequel to the 2002 Naomi Watts thriller that grossed $230 million worldwide, is being directed by Hideo Nakata, who helmed the original Japanese film version. A remake of Nakata's Dark Water, about a woman and her daughter drowning in sorrow and fear, will star Jennifer Connelly; Mechanic is the producer, and Walter Salles (Central Station) is the director. And Ju-on, Japan's top fright franchise (with four episodes) since The Ring, gets its Hollywood remake in October, with the original films' auteur, Takashi Shimizu, calling the shots and Sarah Michelle Gellar starring for producer Sam Raimi.

"Psychological or atmospheric horror is what's attracting audiences these days," says Roy Lee, the Korean American who sold The Ring and Ju-on to Hollywood. It attracts producers too, since atmospherics cost less than computer legerdemain. But you don't have to be Japanese to scare people smartly. You need only a potent idea and $200,000. That was the budget for Open Water, based on the true story of an American couple who were left behind on Australia's Great Barrier Reef by a scuba boat.

In the movie version, Daniel (Daniel Travis) and Susan (Blanchard Ryan) are on a Bahamas holiday when their dive boat leaves without them. A day and night in open water bring out all manner of monsters, not just sharks. And all manner of fears. As Susan says of the lurking creatures, "I don't know what's worse: seeing them or not seeing them." Just knowing the unknown may be near is dread enough.

"We absolutely did not set out to make a shark movie," says writer-director Chris Kentis, who shot the film with his wife, producer Laura Lau. "And we didn't set out to make a horror film." But it couldn't have been fun for the two leads. Travis and Ryan had to spend two days dangling in water surrounded by dozens of gray reef and bull sharks who threw chunks of bloody tuna to the sharks to keep them nearby but not hungry). The mix of emotional intimacy and shark verite in this well-crafted indie effort makes for 80 minutes of aqua anguish.

"You have to credit M. Night Shyamalan for bringing horror back to the Hollywood mainstream," says Walter F. Parkes, the DreamWorks exec who produced the U.S. Ring movies and has optioned the Korean doomed-family epic The Tale of Two Sisters. "The Sixth Sense was beautifully shot, well written, with a mature approach to the genre." It also grossed $294 million at the North American box office. That number will scare up a lot of converts.

Shyamalan's latest exercise in mystery is set in a village as remote, quaint and full of foreboding as the Hobbits' Shire. The elders warn their young not to go into the woods, for there monsters dwell. For years a tense equilibrium has obtained; neither group invades the other's terrain. Suddenly there are raids and animal mutilations by the unseen creatures. Fear grips the village, but two of the young--Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix) and his blind, beloved Ivy

-are bold and pure enough to confront the demons.

After The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs, Shyamalan is practically a scientist of horror. "All the decisions are made in honor of the God of Tension," he says. "Raising the tension over and over and over and never letting you up." That means direction and misdirection worthy of Hitchcock. "Where you would normally cut, I don't cut, so now you're not sure of the rhythm of the movie, which makes you feel uneasy. Or the camera is moving just six inches over the course of three minutes--you're not sure why because you're not aware, but you're feeling somehow more tense. You can see the outline of a path that you know you are supposed to walk because you've walked it so many times. But you're getting lost in the woods."

The film's payoff raises more questions than it answers, which may be Shyamalan's intent in this political parable of fear. When the kids are let in on the fairy tale's secret, they are told, "Do your very best not to scream." That's a rule viewers of The Village need not obey.by Desa Philadelphia and Jeffrey Ressner/Los Angeles

The Woman in the Fifth June 15,2012

A writer stranded in Paris falls into a strange relationship with a mysterious woman in this drama from writer and director Pawel Pawlikowski. Tom Ricks (Ethan Hawke) is an American novelist who has been wrestling with writers' block since the publication of his first book. Tom is married to Nathalie (Delphine Chuillot) but their relationship has taken a turn for the worse, and after she goes home to France with their daughter Chloe (Julie Papillon) in tow, Tom flies there in hopes of reconciling with her. However, Tom is robbed shortly after arriving, and is stuck with no money and nowhere to go. He is befriended by Sezer (Samir Guesmi), who gives him a job as a night watchman and a room in a cheap hotel, but for all his generosity, Tom isn't sure he trusts his benefactor. He then meets Margit (Kristin Scott Thomas), a beautiful woman with a literary bent, and ends up spending the night with her. But what begins as a passing fling takes on a more sinister cast as Margit sends Tom through a series of increasingly bizarre experiences in the interest of reawakening his muse. La Femme du 5e (aka The Woman in the Fifth) received its North American debut at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

THE TALE OF THE VOODOO PROSTITUTE (2012)

In this indie horror outing, a Texas hustler is cursed into impotence by an evil woman. The aggrieved pimp springs into action to protect his stable of women and restore his own manhood–but what kinds of bloody deeds will he have to perform in order to vanquish this malicious female and destroy her command of black magic? Jayde Kelley, Martin Ezelle, and Charles Buchanan star. 75 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English; audio commentary; theatrical trailers.

LOST WOODS

LOST WOODS (2012)


Arriving in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest for a camping trip, young Darrin is upset to learn that a jerk from his past has been invited along on the getaway. But he soon has more than social awkwardness to worry about when a sinister Sasquatch begins murdering his pals. Now, Darrin struggles to stay alive while the shocking secret behind the Bigfoot’s attacks are revealed. Joey Brown, Garret Vander Leun, Nina Brissey star in this terror tale. 88 min. Soundtrack: English; audio commentary; deleted scenes.

Prometheus Movie Review

There hasn't been a really good, pure science fiction film in some time. Children of Men (2006) is an instant classic, and A.I. and Gattaca are two of my faves. But there really hasn't been anything great, taking place in space. I loved Sunshine and Moon,but there were a few issues with those.


When it comes to director Ridley Scott, helmer of two of the most seminal and influential science fiction films of all time — you, under the rock! I'm talking about Alien (1979) and Blade Runner (1982) — the pressure had to be immense when returning to the genre. Oftentimes, he who hesitates is lost but in this case, Scott returns to form strong and sure with Prometheus, his long-awaited prequel to Alien.



Futuristic spelunker / scientist archeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) find an alien star-map hidden within ancient Irish cave drawings, and their discovery takes them to another planet, where they join the crew on board Prometheus, an exploratory vessel helmed by Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) and her right-hand droid, David (Michael Fassbender). The expedition is funded by immortality-seeking megamillionaire Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce). Crew includes pilot Janek (Idris Elba), and other assorted expendables just waiting to become unwilling hosts to the hostile, acid-spewing life forms.


I won't say much about what happens and won't dare pimp the scares, but I will say, there are several suspenseful, squirm-inducing white knuckle moments of pure sci-fi horror the likes of which have not been experienced (by me, anyway) in years. Robin Hood (2010) notwithstanding, Scott's still got it. In spite of a few (surprisingly) clunky line deliveries by Theron, the whole cast is up to snuff and they complement one another most impressively. Standouts are Rapace and Fassbender, for sure. Pearce is magnificent as well in a small role, but unless.by stacilayne

SiLenT NighT (2012)

It's Christmas Eve in Cryer, WI and the normally quiet town is bustling with activity as the the residents are getting ready for the big day. The events take place around the towns annual Santa Parade, which has brought a record number of Santas to town. Deputy Sheriff Aubrey Bradimore is stuck reluctantly working the night shift, dealing with all of the drunken Santas, road closures, and stressed out locals — but things are about to take a deadly turn. A vicious serial killer, dressed as Santa Claus, has made his own "naughty list" and anyone on it is in big trouble. As the body count rises, Aubrey races to discover the killer’s true identity – but in a town full of Santas, shady characters and dark secrets, finding the real murderer will take more then a Christmas miracle.

Evil Dead II Classic On Blu-Ray

Ash

(Bruce Campbell) is arguably the best genre protagonist there is (with Snake Plissken, Jack Burton and Reggie from Phantasm waiting in the wings), and the patented "splatstick" horror/comedy they deliver is better than anything Jane Austen could deliver on her best days. Subtitled "Dead by Dawn," the second film in the trilogy is considered the perfect one, and a pioneer.

Limited by the budget, scope and film stock of the original, this Blu-ray transfer does the most that it can do with the image. Thankfully, it does a lot. Great contrast and rich black levels provide a method to forgive the light grain and dated appearance. Overall, however, the new polish and old texture give the film a fresh new feel that offers both enhancement and preservation. It sounds incredible by any standard and, like the video, both preserves and enhances the original audio. And while the extras are admittedly weak, we still have to recommend this flick to anyone looking to add some horror staples to their Blu-ray collection.

Rogue River (V) June 5th 2012

release date

June 5 2012

studio

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

director

Jourdan McClure

writer
Ryan Finnerty, Kevin Haskin

starring

Michelle Page, Michael Rooker,, Bill Moseley, Michael Cudlitz, Lucinda Jenney

tagline
You can't outrun family


Struggling with the recent death of her father, Mara sets off on a solitary journey to Oregon’s Rogue River to scatter his remains. When Mara’s car gets towed, she accepts a ride from Jon Wall, an affable redneck type, mourning the death of his young daughter. A quick detour leads them to Jon’s beautiful cabin deep in the woods where his wife Lea quickly captivates Mara as they find solace in the shared grief of their own personal tragedies. But all is not as it seems on the picturesque Rogue River. Mara's world soon devolves into a harrowing nightmare as she fights for survival in the dark and violent world of Jon and Lea. A nightmare shockingly unfolds into a spine-tingling crescendo of terror that will drag Mara into the most twisted recesses of the human psyche...

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2 (2012)

This movie was confirmed from New Line Cinema for a release date in 2012. Plot ideas are unknown but it's rumored that this film is going to incorporate elements from Freddy's Revenge and Dream Warriors. It is to star Jackie Earle Haley, reprising his role as Freddy Krueger, Rooney Mara, reprising her role as Nancy Holbrook and Kyle Gallner, reprising his role as Quentin Smith. The rest of the cast is unknown for now.

While at the Springwood Diner with his girlfriend, Kris Fowles (Katie Cassidy), Dean Russell (Kellan Lutz) falls asleep at the table and meets a man covered in burn scars, wearing a red and green sweater and a clawed glove on his hand. The burned man cuts Dean's throat in the dream, but in reality it appears that Dean is cutting his own throat as friend and waitress Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara) looks on with Kris. At Dean's funeral, Kris sees a photograph of her and Dean as children, but cannot recall ever

Red Lights July 13,2012

sTwo paranormal fraud investigators, the veteran Dr. Margaret Matheson (Weaver) and her young assistant, Tom Buckley (Murphy), study the diverse phenomena of metaphysics with the intention to demonstrate its fraudulent origin. Simon Silver (De Niro), a legendary psychic, perhaps the most famous gifted of all time, returns after thirty years of mysterious absence to become the world's greatest challenger to orthodox science and professional skeptics. Tom begins to develop a dense obsession to silver, whose magnetism is enhanced dangerously with each new manifestation of inexplicable dark phenomena.