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Icons of Fright's Jsyn ("The Vault of the Forgotten and Obscure") and Adam Barnick highly recommended Larry Fessenden's film "The Last Winter". It's in theaters right now on a very limited basis, but it's come to our attention that if you're lucky enough to have IFC On Demand, or a cable company that has a strong on-demand lineup, that you might be able to order the film right now.
Click below to check out the trailer for THE LAST WINTER and the poster artwork. Looks good!
Icons of Fright has some inside info and first-look creature pics from "Scourge", the upcoming "Thing" meets "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" inspired film from writer / director Jonas Quastel (“Ripper 2”/”Sasquatch”).
"The Scourge" is a rapidly growing organism that begins invading and consuming the bodies of unsuspecting citizens in the small town of Harborford. As it gestates, the Scourge consumes internal organs and assumes control of gross motor functions, driving the afflicted person to consume massive amounts of calories before eventually killing the host in what the filmmakers describe as “a gory shower of vomited blood and tissue.” It also likes to bore through belly buttons. So cute! I want one!
The story deals with Scott Miller, whose soon-to-be ex-girlfriend is invaded by and destroyed by the creature. After becoming a suspect in her death, he only has a short time to prove his innocence, stop the scourge, and regain the trust of his old best friend, Jesse (who just happens to be the local sheriff's niece).
While “Scourge” certainly owes it to past creature-feature films for inspiration, Quastel thinks fans will find there's something a deeper and more sinister about his pet monster. “The Scourge isn’t mindless,” he insists, “It has a personality. It has an agenda and an attitude. It knows who its victims and its enemies are, and when it wins a round, it lets them know.”
The creature was designed and executed completely in CGI, which many genre fans usually hate to hear. However, as the cost of CGI has come down over the years, Quastel and his team, though on a much smaller budget than a big studio productions, were able to utilize top effects artists and technology.
Producer Andrew Bronstein looked to visual FX house Artifex to design the creature. Artifex's previous credits included work on big productions such as this years “Pathfinder” and the TV series “Painkiller Jane”, however, the artists were totally game to design a new creature. Bronstein explains, “Since most of the work they’ve done has been execute-on-demand stuff for big US productions, they totally jumped at a chance to partner up. Which gave them an opportunity they’d been dying for - taking a creature from concept through design and animation to finished product.”
Still, director Quastel recognized there were certain risks involved working with a purely CGI effect, one that you wouldn't see until the production was well underway. “Regardless of their peerless reputation in the field, we really took a big leap on blind faith that (Artifex VFX supervisor and CEO) Adam Stern was going to bring it home. There was a month there, after we saw the conceptual art, where we didn’t see anything. You know, we thought, ‘Oh my god, if this gets messed up ... we’re toast. There’s no movie.'”
However, once Artifex revealed the final design and 3D animated model, “I just stared at it. The detail, the texture, the overall look of the thing. It was awesome. It moved like a real animal, kind of a combination of the fantastic and the exotic, like a deep sea creature you might find on a different planet.”
Still, seeing a creature on a computer screen is one thing, getting it and your actors to interact with each other is another matter altogether. Actress Robyn Leoux remembers how she initially tried to visualize the as-yet-unseen creature with another famous monster, “I sort of started imagining the Alien.”
However, while doing post-production sound work she says even she was taken aback by the final design, “I actually saw the Scourge for the first time when I was doing ADR, and it was like nothing like I’ve ever seen before. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. When I saw the Scourge coming out of Scott’s mouth, it wasn’t, like horrific. It was beautiful.”
For actor Nic Rhind, who plays Scott Miller, the support of his fellow cast and crew help immensely with the challenge of working with an unseen alien nemesis, “From the start, there was a huge amount of positivity. A real creative collective.”
Keep and eye open (and all other orifices closed) for the "Scourge".
-Mike C
Below you'll find a video from G4's ATTACK OF THE SHOW, where ICONS OF FRIGHT was named among the TOP 4 horror websites on the internet! Right along side our friends at Dread Central, Bloody-Disgusting and Fearnet.com. It's great to be amongst such fantastic company! Check out the video below and thanks for noticing us!
So, now that SAW IV has officially dropped this past weekend and is poised to be the number one movie this weekend, what's next for director Darren Lynn Bousman? Well, a horror opera of course! Actually, it's REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA, his passion project for years that has finally come to fruition and is slated for release on April 25th, 2008. The film stars Paul Sorvino, (sigh) Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley, Sarah Brightman and Anthony Head. Check out your first look below, courtesy of Spike.
Every Halloween, HATCHET writer/director ADAM GREEN has made it a tradition to put together a short holiday-themed film with his friends for fun. This years Halloween short THE TIFFANY PROBLEM is officially on line! And it features tons of cameos including Joel David Moore, Corri English, Zac Levi (Chuck), Marcus Dunstan (Feast, Saw 4), Joel Murray (Hatchet), Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Ryan Schifrin (Abominable), and Green himself (Hatchet, Spiral). Check it out below!
Writer/Director Adam Green's annual Halloween Short Film THE TIFFANY PROBLEM stars Joel David Moore and Corri English and features cameos by Zac Levi (Chuck), Marcus Dunstan (Feast, Saw 4), Joel Murray (Hatchet), Joe Lynch (Wrong Turn 2), Ryan Schifrin (Abominable), and Adam Green (Hatchet).
• Audio commentary by writer/director Zombie
• 17 deleted scenes with optional Zombie commentary
• Alternate ending
• Re-Imagining HALLOWEEN documentary
• A Conversation With Rob Zombie featurette
• Meet the Cast featurette
• The Many Masks of Michael Myers featurette
• Bloopers
• Casting session footage
• Laurie Strode screen test
UPDATED: Wow, this... kinda sucks. Here's the cover image for the new HALLOWEEN DVD. What's with DVD artwork these days? Wouldn't you guys prefer one of the 2 images below the DVD cover? They're both from Rob Zombie's My Space page. I don't get it!
ACTUAL DVD COVER:
Aren't these WAY cooler?
IMAGES FROM ROB ZOMBIE'S MY SPACE PAGE. ALTERNATE POSTERS PERHAPS?
Click the logo below:
Visit the Best Buy site HERE!
For $4.99 - HELLRAISER 1 & 2, NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET'S 2-5, WES CRAVEN'S NEW NIGHTMARE, BLADE, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (Both movies), IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, THE CELL, JEEPERS CREEPERS, FROM HELL, JAXON X, JASON GOES TO HELL, CRITTERS, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, CANDYMAN, DAWN OF THE DEAD (Original), TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (Remake), TEXAS CHAINSAW 2, HIGH TENSION, THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, SAW 2, HALLOWEEN and more!
For $6.99 - THE EVIL DEAD, EVIL DEAD 2, THE HILLS HAVE EYES (Original), HELLBOY, DAY OF THE DEAD, SILENT HILL, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, MONSTER HOUSE, THE DESCENT, SAW 3, OPEN WATER 2, PHANTASM 1 & 3, BEHIND THE MASK, HALLOWEEN 4 & 5, HALLOWEEN: 25 YEARS OF TERROR, RE-ANIMATOR and more!
30% Off - RAVENOUS, THE FOOD OF THE GODS, THE WITCHFINDER GENERAL, LIFEFORCE, LORD OF ILLUSIONS, THE BEAST WITHIN/BAT PEOPLE, LAKE PLACID, STIGMATA, AUDREY ROSE, CARRIE, PUMPKINHEAD, KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE, THE FURY, JOYRIDE, LAST HOUSE OF THE LEFT, BURNT OFFERINGS, POLTERGEIST 2/3, TROLL 1/2, GHOULIES 1/2, THE HOWLING, WRONG TURN, THE BROOD, JEEPERS CREEPERS 2 and much, much more!
Take advantage while you can!!!
FEVER DREAMS' WICKED LAKE GOES INTO PRODUCTION
(New York City) Fever Dreams LLC. is proud to announce the start of production on WICKED LAKE, the company’s fifth feature film. WICKED LAKE is an erotically charged supernatural shocker to be directed by Zach Passero, based on an original screenplay by Adam Rockoff. WICKED LAKE is the sordid supernatural tale of a group of four co-ed girls who look forward to a relaxing weekend getaway. Unbeknownst to them, two clans of deranged male misfits follow them to their secluded, picturesque lakeside cabin in the mountains. The girls appear to be easy prey for the predatory perverts until the fateful stroke of midnight when all hell, literally, breaks loose!
Below you'll find both the teaser trailer and stunt reel for LIVE EVIL, the new vampire flick which stars genre vets TIM THOMSERSON, KEN FOREE and TIFFANY SHEPIS along with Mark Hengst, Osa Wallander and featuring appearances by Jeff Burr and Lee Perkins. The flick was written and directed by Jay Woelfel. Have a peek below!
Visit the movie's official website at: http://www.liveevilthemovie.com
A few years back, we chatted with up and coming filmmaker Jake Kennedy about WE ALL FALL DOWN, his impressive horror short that played multiple film festivals and eventually ended up being a part of FANGORIA'S BLOOD DRIVE Volume 2 DVD. He briefly mentioned plans back then to start working with a "zombie" project. and it looks like the flick is finally done and just about ready for release after a successful screening at Screamfest last week where LIONSGATE picked up the film for distribution! Congrats to Jake! We look forward to more genre contributions from you in the future and can't wait to check out DAYS OF DARKNESS! See the trailer below and read our interview with him below!
Click the frame to read our FRIGHT exclusive chat with JAKE KENNEDY from 2005.
DAYS OF DARKNESS Trailer:
The official website for David Arquette's writing/directorial debut THE TRIPPER is now up and running. Hit it up at http://thetripperdvd.com. The Unrated Special Edition DVD streets on October 26th, 2007. Don't forget to check out our FIRST LOOK review of THE TRIPPER below, as well as our FRIGHT exclusive interviews with David Arquette and THE TRIPPER co-writer Joe Harris!
Icons of Fright has received the teaser poster for SWEATSHOP, the new film from Ted Geoghegan, writer and producer of international hit "Barricade".
The new film will be directed by Stacy Davidson (director of 2007's "Necrophobia"), and begins filming next week. More details as they develop, if you want to stay up to date add the film on MySpace. But now here's the killer teaser poster:
Anchor Bay Entertainment, a Starz Home Entertainment company and leader in classic horror DVD , will release the hard-hitting, critically acclaimed true-life shocker Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door on December 4th.
Like Stephen King, Clive Barker and Dean R. Koontz, Jack Ketchum is one of the premier, best-selling horror writers of his time. His 1989 book “The Girl Next Door” was no exception. This harrowing true story of betrayal, violence and terror in a typical 1950s neighborhood, is all the more shocking because it actually happened.
Orphans Meg (Blythe Auffarth, Keeping the Faith) and her disabled sister Susan (Madeline Taylor, in her screen debut) are held captive by their distant aunt Ruth (Emmy®-Award winner Blanche Baker), a tormented and sadistic woman rapidly going insane. Ruth’s madness has infected her three sons, as well as the entire neighborhood. Only 12-year-old David (Daniel Manche, “As the World Turns”) stands between Meg and Susan and what threatens to be their protracted and torturous deaths.
Love and compassion collide head on with lust and evil, in a story of relentless suspense and intensity.
In addition to newcomers Manche, Auffarth and Taylor, the film’s talented cast includes Baker (“Holocaust,” Sixteen Candles, Underdogs), William Atherton (Die Hard, Ghostbusters, The Pelican Brief), Catherine Mary Stewart (The Last Starfighter, Night of the Comet), Grant Show (“Melrose Place,” “Six Feet Under”) and Tony®-Award winner Kevin Chamberlin (“Heroes,” Lucky Number Slevin, Road to Perdition).
This controversial film shocked and stunned audiences and critics alike. “Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door is powerful, dark, and ugly” said BloodyDisgusting. Michael Gingold, of Fangoria, said that “there’s no denying its power. (The film’s) greatest strength is the naturalism and sympathy of Manche and Auffarth’s performances ... and Baker’s quietly ferocious turn.” House of Horrors stated that the film “went to levels of offensiveness that rivaled films like Imprint or Hostel.”
No less an authority than best-selling author Stephen King advised: “If you are easily disturbed, you should not watch this movie. If, on the other hand, you are prepared for a long look into hell, suburban style, The Girl Next Door will not disappoint. This is the dark-side-of-the-moon version of Stand By Me."
Like many Anchor Bay releases, Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door will include an extensive selection of bonus features including:
Pre-Order it on Amazon.com!
And check out our interview with screenwriter DAN FARRANDS where he talks about THE GIRL NEXT DOOR for the first time publically! (Click on the frame and it will open in a new window!)
In the autumn of 1984, a low-budget horror thriller was released that ignited a firestorm of international controversy. The film was Silent Night, Deadly Night, and for more than a generation, it has remained one of the most hotly debated films in the horror genre.
On December 11th, Anchor Bay Entertainment, the industry leader in horror home entertainment, will re-release this unforgettable horror classic, decked out with all-new holiday-themed cover art that truly spreads good cheer…with a few screams!
Even before Silent Night, Deadly Night was officially released, protestors lined up to loudly decry a movie portraying Santa Claus as a deranged, axe-wielding killer. The unexpected furor so caught the original distributor off-guard that it hastily yanked the film from theaters, virtually guaranteeing a fast death at the box office. Years later, when the controversy died down and the film was released to the home video market, Silent Night, Deadly Night became the cult classic it is today, having spawned no less than four sequels, with a remake currently in development.
Years ago, little Billy saw his parents murdered by an escaped killer wearing a Santa Claus costume. The experience left indelible scars on his psyche, made all the worse by his subsequent years languishing in an orphanage, where his life was made a living hell by the cruel and domineering Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin, Universal Soldier).
With the help of the sympathetic Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick, Slaughterhouse-Five, Starting Over), the 18-year-old Billy (Robert Brian Wilson, “Search for Tomorrow”) secures a job at a toy store. But when the store’s regular Santa is injured, Billy is called upon to don the red suit. But as he does, he becomes a ticking time bomb. The traumatic memories of his parents’ murders, combined with the abuse he has suffered at the hands of the Mother Superior, propel him into a state of psychotic rage. Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s got murder on his mind...
The film also features a notable appearance by legendary “scream queen” Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers). Silent Night, Deadly Night was directed by Emmy Award nominee Charles E. Sellier Jr. (producer of Breaking the Da Vinci Code, “Encounters With the Unexplained” and the cult classics Hangar 18 and The Boogens).
Bonus features:
WRONG TURN 2: DEAD END is officially out on DVD as of today! Thanks to everyone that came out for the screening last night at the Two Boots in NYC. It was an absolute blast! Now you can own the UNRATED edition of the movie. Below are a few brand-new FRIGHT exclusive interviews, one with WRONG TURN 2 director JOE LYNCH, the other with the star of the film ERICA LEERHSEN. Give 'em both a read and make sure you check out the flick on DVD today!
Buy it on Amazon.com!
Click on the frame below to read our interview with director JOE LYNCH!
Click on the frame below to read our interview with ERICA LEERHSEN!
Check out our FIRST LOOK review of WRONG TURN 2!
Icons Of Fright is running yet another FRIGHT exclusive contest for you fiends! We're giving away an autographed HALLOWEEN 4 8 x 10 of DANIELLE HARRIS! (Star of HALLOWEEN 4, HALLOWEEN 5 and ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN!) Details are simple. Send an email to halloweencontest@iconsoffright.com with CONTEST as the subject header. Include your full name & mailing address in the e-mail. On October 30th, we'll select a lucky Icons reader at random as the winner! Read on for the complete details as well as our promo video!
Icons of Fright has 5 copies of the new film RAPTURIOUS, produced by Artie Lange, and starring Debbie Rochon, with appearances by Joe Bob Briggs and Hoya Guerra (bassist for NYHC band Madball). RAPTURIOUS is direced by Kamal Ahmed of "The Jerky Boys".
If you want to win send an email to: dvd@iconsoffright.com Be sure to put "RAPTURIOUS" in the subject line and include your mailing address. Entries must be recieved before Midnight on Halloween (Oct 31st).
Here's the details on RAPTURIOUS:
I KNOW WHO KILLED ME, the film directed by Chris Sivertson (THE LOST) and starring Lindsay Lohan will be released on DVD November 27th. Click through for DVD specs...
Really interested to see this one, it very much divided many of my fellow genre writer and I didn't get a chance to catch it in the theater. Apparently Fangoria loved it, Icons of Fright's own Adam Barnick liked it plenty (although Icons own John Torrani thought otherwise). Anyway, here's the DVD details from today's press release:
DVD / BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:
* Alternate Opening
* Alternate Ending
* Blooper Reel
* Extended Dance Sequence
I, for one, can't wait for the extended dance sequence. No director commentary though, but I'm sure we'd never get an uncensored version of what was going on on the set of that with Ms. Lohan (although, wink wink, some of us in the Icons team are in the know.)
"Aubrey Fleming (Lindsay Lohan) is a regular high school student with friends and family. One night, she unexpectedly disappears. Two weeks later, she is found unconscious in the middle of the woods. When spoken to, her loved ones realize she has forgotten her identity and the personality living in her body is Dakota Moss, a character that Aubrey created in one of her stories for an English assignment. Dakota denies ever being Aubrey, despite an identical appearance. Now, Dakota must try to unravel the mystery of how she and Aubrey co-exist and find out who abducted Aubrey that night."
Check out the trailer at the following Yahoo link:
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809834155/video/4367764
SYNOPSIS: Based on the 19th century legend of Sweeney Todd and the hit Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Sweeney Todd a.k.a Benjamin Barker returns to London after being sent away by Judge Turpin with the help of a sailor, Anthony Hope. He opens a barber shop above Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Shop were she sells "the worst pies in London." With the help of Mrs. Lovett, Todd tries to rid of all the people who have ever done him wrong and hopes to be reunited with his daughter, Joanna, who is now Judge Turpin's ward.
An exclusive SAW IV clip popped up this morning on My Space. In it Jigsaw (or better yet Billy the puppet) gives you a clue as to what's on the tape in the new sequel. (Opening October 26th) "See what I see." What the hell's it all mean? We don't know yet but can't wait to find out! Watch the clip, along with the original trailer below!
Saw IV - MySpace
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Saw IV - Trailer
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Well, dang! Every other horror site is running this, so we might as well too! After all, we're huge fans of the work of comic book writer Steve Niles and are eagerly anticipating the movie version of his masterpiece 30 DAYS OF NIGHT! The first clip from the flick has made it's way on line. Have a peek below! "God? No God!"
The Unrated Hatchet DVD not only presents the film exactly as Adam Green intended – frame by frame – but also offers ninety minutes of bonus features charting the film’s production practically from Day 1. Witness the birth of the next great movie monster with the following supplements:
Don't forget to check out our HATCHET interviews!
ADAM GREEN
JOEL MOORE
TAMARA FELDMAN
MERCEDES MCNAB
DEON RICHMOND
FIRST LOOK AT HATCHET
