Saturday morning seemed to smack me in the face. Did I even sleep? I have no idea. Our second day of Comic Con was at hand. With a hop, skip, and a jump in the shower, we were quickly out of the door and checked out of the hotel. Ryan and I bypassed the stroll through Old Town to the train station for a more desirable drive in my car. We reached Downtown fairly quickly and soon found reasonably priced parking a mile from the Convention Center. Why a mile? The parking lots that were blocks from the Convention Center charged roughly $50. With cheaper parking found, we were on our next mission to find coffee. We achieved Comic Con entry at roughly 9:50 am and found a quick photo opportunity with Gandalf.

This was just enough time to make it to Room 25ABC for the Panel Of The Living Dead.  I was ready for the zombie video game themed event.  There was a sign outside of the room saying the panel had moved to a room on the other side of the building which was a walk we didn’t want to take.   Already, our itinerary for the day was being left by the wayside.  I decided then and there that Saturday was the day of walking the Convention floor.  So much for making plans.

Lucky for me, two booths that dictate some huge obsessions for me were right next to each other: AMC's THE WALKING DEAD and TRON LEGACY.  I had recently downloaded the TRON app for the iPhone and upon checking into the TRON LEGACY booth, I received what they called a “golden ticket” which was a graphic on my phone that was to be shown to one of the booth workers at the top of each hour to receive my front of the line ticket to visit Flynn’s Arcade.  Ryan and I decided the Recognizer was the meeting place and he’d be back by the top of the hour.

Continue reading "Not Quite Fear And Loathing At San Diego Comic Con (Part 2)" »

Posted by Aaron Pruner at 10:03 PM | Permalink Digg This

We had two bags of grass, seventy-five pellets of mescaline, five sheets of high-powered blotter acid, a saltshaker half-full of cocaine, and a whole galaxy of multi-colored uppers, downers, screamers, laughers...

Oh who am I kidding?  We had two cups of coffee, a pen, two pads of paper, a camera, and our stuff in the trunk.  It was Friday morning, 6 am to be exact, and I pulled up to my friend Ryan’s house.  I was greeted by his camera flash.

Continue reading "Not Quite Fear And Loathing At The San Diego Comic Con (Part 1)" »

Posted by Aaron Pruner at 04:46 AM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (1)

Coinciding totally by total happenstance with my visit to Troma Studios this week, Trailers from Hell is honoring Lloyd Kaufman. 

Lloyd's recent visit to Joe Dante's office yielded him his writer for THE TOXIC TWINS: TOXIC AVENGER 5.  A fowl byproduct of that visit was Lloyd's commentary on his most recent Tromasterpiece, POULTRYGEIST:  NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD.  The world's first chicken zombie eggstravaganza, the film eggspounds on the evils of the fast food megaconglomerate.  In his commentary, Lloyd delivers his trademark shtick and social critique.

Cluck on the link below to watch the trailer.  Also check out Lloyd's commentary on Troma Studio's breakthrough film, THE TOXIC AVENGER.  And look for more Lloyd tromantaries in the near future.

 

 --Phil Fasso

 

Posted by fasso at 03:58 AM | Permalink Digg This

Ever since THE WALKING DEAD comic book series first hit store shelves several years ago, fans have held out hope that the property would one day be adapted into an on-going cable series. The story of former police officer Rick Grimes waking from a coma to find a desolate world over-run by zombies & his quest to find his missing wife and son plays out like an old-school Romero flick without a definitive end. It has since become the quintessential zombie book and amassed a huge cult following amongst comic collector's and casual readers alike.

Thankfully, AMC is producing a six-episode first season based on the first story arc of the comics with  three-time Academy Award-nominee Frank Darabont writing, directing and producing! Considering how close Darabont has stuck with the source material in his adaptations of Stephen King's properties, this is cause for fan's to celebrate. KNB FX is providing the zombies and judging from the pictures AMC just released, they're sticking closely to the drawings of original WALKING DEAD artist Tony Moore. Andrew Lincoln stars as Rick Grimes with Jon Bernthal, Linds Edwards, Sarah Wayne Callies, Steven Yeun, Addy Miller and THE MIST alumni Jeffrey DeMunn and Laurie Holden rounding out the cast.

There's no official air date set yet, but you can expect THE WALKING DEAD sometime this fall. In the meantime, check out this video interview with Frank Darabont, followed by a few tasty pics of the ghouls from the series!

For more pics and info, visit AMC's website right here!

 

 

Posted by RobG at 05:16 PM | Permalink Digg This

When you look back on the cinematic exploits of lycanthropes, there is most certainly a big difference between a "werewolf" depicted on screen and "The Wolf Man".  The original Wolf Man, as portrayed by Lon Chaney Jr in the 1941 Universal monster classic is unarguably the definitive "wolf man". Yes, there are amazing versions of the beast in everything from AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON to THE HOWLING to THE MONSTER SQUAD to DOG SOLDIERS to many, many more. But if you bring up that image to the left, the first thing you think is "THAT's the Wolf Man".

As far as the theatrical version of Joe Johnston's remake, all I wanted was an old-school gothic monster movie with a kick-ass version of the monster I'd grown up loving. And sure enough, whenever Benicio Del Toro graced the screen in full make-up, literally tearing people limb from limb, I thought "Holy sh*t... THAT is the Wolf Man!"

Despite it's few plot inconsistencies most likely caused by numerous re-edits,  THE WOLFMAN is one of the better remakes of a classic property. While the story is slightly tweaked from the original version (including setting this one in the 1890's as opposed to the 40's), the basic premise is similar enough. In this version, Larry Talbot is a traveling actor who's been estranged from his family since a psychologically damaging incident from his childhood. He returns home after learning of the disappearance and murder of his brother. He's attacked by the same beast and later starts going on his own nighttime extra curricular activities.

Emily Blunt plays Gwen Conliffe, the object of Larry's affections and also widow to his recently deceased brother. Anthony Hopkins plays the senior Talbot.

Benicio Del Toro playing Larry Talbot and the Wolfman seems like perfect casting, especially considering the actor's resemblance to Lon Chaney Jr.  However, in the theatrical version, his performance (or as some reviewers have argued, his lack of one) is by far the weakest link. The director's cut however fixes that, so anyone disappointed with Talbot's lack of character development should be satisfied with his portrayal (now more in tact) in this new version.

The director's cut clocks in at a solid 2 hours. It's most notable is the first 20-30 minutes, which almost feel like a completely different movie. In this version, rather then send a letter, Gwen travels to meet with Larry backstage after a London performance of Hamlet and informs him in person of his brother's disappearance. After much debate, primarily out of fear of seeing his father again, Larry hops on a train and heads back home. On the train ride, he encounters Max von Sydow (!) who gives him the infamous wolf's head cane. While to the average movie-goer, this may seem slowly paced, it's fine for the gothic tone this film is trying to emulate. There are other little additions sprinkled all the way through out which make the director's cut a more complete movie, but be forewarned, Del Toro doesn't turn into the Wolfman for the first time until the hour mark. It's a tough call to say which version is "better". As a diehard Wolfman fan, I'm just thrilled to have both. The theatrical cut moves at a brisk pace, but if you have the patience and desire to watch a more deliberately slow paced old-school horror movie, then you'll enjoy all the extra goodies in the director's cut.

The Blu-Ray sports plenty of great special features. There are a handful of deleted scenes, the most notable is when the Wolfman invades a costume party and no one suspects the threat of this party crasher. It's a great and humorous scene to watch on it's own, but I can understand how it doesn't exactly fit in the middle of the London rooftop chase scene as it currently stands in the movie. There are also 2 alternate endings, both of which are interesting but inferior to the one that ended up in the final film.

The first featurette on the disc is Return Of The Wolfman, a basic behind the scenes and interview montage segment that covers not only the production of the film, but the history of the Universal monster movies. It's pretty straight forward stuff, but the real gold is the next two featurettes which focus on the Wolfman himself. The Beast Maker is a great, great segment with make-up FX legend Rick Baker talking about his love of the character and how he set about updating it for this new remake. Of note is the test footage (Rick Baker made himself up as the Wolfman for these clips) which shows his ideas for doing the transformation practically! Why they opted to go with CGI transformations after getting this little tease of what Baker had in store for us will forever be one of those studio mysteries. Alas, hopefully Baker will get a chance to do another werewolf movie one day and fully realize the vision he started here. Also cool are dozens of various early designs we get to see for the Wolfman. Del Toro even insisted that some of the fake body parts be made edible so he could really get down and dirty and eat some flesh while behind that mask. The next featurette Transformation Secrets focuses on the CGI FX of the movie. (Some shots surprisingly I didn't even realize were CG which is a credit to the work done here.) While I'm sure myself and other fans would've loved to have seen Baker's practical transformations, the work done here is among the best I've seen for a movie of this scale.



The Wolfman Unleashed is a great featurette that focuses on the stunt work and action set pieces from the film. It's neat to see video cam footage of stuntman Spencer Wilding in full Wolfman gear jumping from rooftops and running at incredible speeds on moving mats. Also, after watching this, it seems fairly obvious that while I'm sure Benicio is there for the majority of the close-up shots, Spencer seems to have played the Wolfman for a considerable amount of the movie.

If you missed THE WOLFMAN in theaters... shame on you!

In all seriousness, this is a great package. Not only to see two different versions of the movie, but for the features which really are excellent. The disc is worth it alone just for the Rick Baker segment. Recommended. - Robg.




BONUS CLIPS

THE WOLFMAN Blu-ray Bonus Clip – Creating Wolfman Speed and Movement

In this bonus feature clip from THE WOLFMAN Blu-ray, director Joe Johnston and others show how they accomplished the Wolfman’s speeds in this exclusive behind-the-scenes look.

THE WOLFMAN U-Control™ Blu-ray Bonus Clip – Transforming Man into Wolfman
In this bonus clip from THE WOLFMAN Blu-ray, VFX Producer Karen Murphy shows how hand animation was used in this exclusive behind-the-scenes look through Universal’s new U-Control™ feature that lets the viewer access bonus materials without leaving the movie.
br>

THE WOLFMAN Blu-ray Bonus Clip – Behind the Scenes with Rick Baker - NEW!
In this bonus clip from THE WOLFMAN Blu-ray, Creature Effects Designer Rick Baker talks about his role in the film through Universal’s new U-Control™ feature that lets the viewer access bonus materials without leaving the movie.



THE WOLFMAN Blu-ray Bonus Clip – Lighting Talbot Hall Set - NEW!
In this bonus clip from THE WOLFMAN Blu-ray, Director of Photography Shelly Johnson talks about Talbot Hall in this exclusive behind-the-scenes look through Universal’s new U-Control™ feature that lets the viewer access bonus materials without leaving the movie.

Posted by RobG at 08:35 PM | Permalink Digg This

Another year, another English-language remake of a foreign horror movie.  According to Empire, Mark Pellington is set to direct the retelling of Guillermo del Toro's Spanish-language ORPHANAGE.

Pellington, who got his start directing music videos such as Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," graduated to making offbeat thrillers such as ARLINGTON ROAD and THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES.  Pellington is a stylist with a knack for offsetting visuals and pacing that may benefit the remake.  Couple this with Empire's claim that del Toro, a master storyteller, will be co-writing the English version, and this film should have some real potential.

Read Empire's full article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:19 AM | Permalink Digg This

At Variety's Future of Film forum today, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY director Oren Peli spoke about what inspired him to make the film, and why he shunned the direct-to-video market.  He also discussed the budget, which sources have claimed to be several different numbers;  he confirms it was roughly $15,000.

Perhaps most interesting is when Peli discussed with the rest of the "Game Changers" panel how it would be hard to continue making films without the studio system behind him.  Filmmaking is an incredibly expensive art, even with the proliferation of cheaper equipment.  With studio involvement, there's always a compromised vision, and it's almost impossible to be an auteur in the modern studio system.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY is an anomaly, and the business model Paramount used to promote it was likely a one-trick pony.  As he moves on to future projects, only time will tell how successful his ventures will be.  After all, he does mention that the BLAIR WITCH PROJECT was an inspiration for PARANORMAL, and the BLAIR WITCH guys haven't had anywhere near the success since.

Read the full article at Variety here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 01:57 AM | Permalink Digg This

"Draw up the standard rich and famous contract!"

Hollywood! You're crazy and I love you. The YouTube video depicting a giant robot attack, "Ataque de Panico (Panic Attack!)" by a previously unknown filmmaker from Uruguay, Federico Alvarez attracted not just hundreds of thousands of YouTube videos but the attention of Mandate Pictures, with Sam Raimi attached to produce. 

The company, which also backs Raimi's Ghost House imprint, has announced the short film, shot for scant $500 (yes), will become a $30 million feature length. Alvarez gets a cool $1 million directors fee as part of the deal. He's also signed with the LA-based talent agency CAA.

 

Take a look at Panic Attack:

Posted by mikec at 08:56 PM | Permalink Digg This

Variety ran an interesting article yesterday about the TWILIGHT series.  It seems that the people at Summit, the studio behind the mega-franchise, are debating on whether to split Stephanie Meyers' last book in the series, Breaking Dawn, into two movies.  Given the almost one half billion gross from NEW MOON's two-week worldwide release, stretching the series out to accomodate an extra entry seems a no-brainer.  An embarrassment of riches never gave anyone reason to distress, right?

The problem is, those riches are likely to be spread out among a number of players.  According to Variety, the series' three leads are likely to get paydays in the eight figures.  They'll also have to pay out to Chris Weitz, director of entries #2 and 3, in order to secure his services and dissuade him from taking other projects.  And Summit would also have to renegotiate with Meyers, which means even more coming out of the coffers.

In the end, Summit will do whatever it feels will likely make it the most money.  Given the massive money coming in from the first two entries, the risk/reward percentage may be just too tempting for Summit to pass on one extra entry.

Read the full article in Variety here.

CORRECTION:  Chris Weitz did not direct ECLIPSE;  David Slade did.  Thanks to the keen-eyed Icons faithful who pointed this out.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 12:00 AM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (2)

EW posted a small report- more like a note, really- on this December's hosts of Saturday Night Live, and Taylor Lautner will preside over the show on December 12, with musical guest Bon Jovi (lead singer Jon Bon Jovi was a rather hirsute frontman back in the 1980s, but I have  no proof he was ever a werewolf).

EW makes absolutely no indication whether Lautner will do the show shirtless.

 Read EW's note here.

-- Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 01:07 AM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (2)

No, that's not the Professional Golfers' Association.  The Producers Guild of America has chosen to honor Joss Whedon with its Vanguard Award, which celebrates achievements in media and technology, according to Variety.  Whedon is most famous for his series BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and ANGEL.  He'll be in the esteemed company of George Lucas and James Cameron.

I was never a fan of BUFFY or ANGEL, but I applaud Whedon.  Congratulations on your award, Joss.

Read Variety's full article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:26 AM | Permalink Digg This

I'm not so sure if I buy this one, but Corona Coming Attractions is reporting that a remake of THE HOWLING is on the way.  According to the article, indie producers Joel Kastelberg and Etchie Stroh are set to produce, and marketing guy Joe Nimziki will direct.  They'll be working under the title THE HOWLING: REBORN.

I don't exactly trust this because of a teaser poster for the project that I saw on other horror sites during the AFM last month.  Somebody took the DVD cover from the original film (as seen unmolested above) and added some guy's name to it in Photoshop.  The whole things didn't look legitimate, to the point that I didn't even report on it.  The Corona article states, wisely, that "The original Howling had three great things working for it: strong direction by Joe Dante (Gremlins, the upcoming thriller The Hole 3D), a tight, serious script by John Sayles and werewolf transformation makeup by Rob Bottin..." and here's even more reason to be doubtful;  based on the quality of that Photoshop poster, there's little reason to believe that this remake will match quality in direction, writing or special effects (I can see the CGI werewolves running all over my nightmares!).

EW's blog boasts an entry on how werewolves are suddenly in vogue again (MTV making a TEEN WOLF series?  Seriously?), with several projects in the works.  You can read that one here.

THE HOWLING is in my top 5 horror flicks, and I've been lucky enough so far not to have suffered a remake.  If Kastelberg, STroh and Nimziki manage to remake it, I hope they honor the original, which is a minor classic.

Read Corona's article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 06:39 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

No surprises here.  TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON destroyed its competition its opening weekend.  According to the IMDB, the film will have pulled in an astounding $141 million dollars in its first three days.  The draw actually exceeded the projected take-in by $16 million, and beat out its next nearest competitor, the Sandra Bullock weepie THE BLINDSIDE by almost $100 million.

The big surprise is that the opening is not the biggest of all-time.  Though its presales set records by cruising past THE DARK KNIGHT, the second film in the TWILIGHT series opened #3 in history, behind the Bruce Wayne effort and Sam Raimi's SPIDERMAN 3.  Of greater interest will be how NEW MOON fares in the coming weeks.  DARK KNIGHT stayed on top for a long time, and had the benefit of a summer release;  even so, it came up well short of TITANIC.  I would not be surprised if NEW MOON has a huge second weekend, given that it's the four day Thanksgiving weekend upcoming.

Regardless, NEW MOON'S numbers are simultaneously impressive and expected.  Tons of fangirls running to see shirtless Native American teenage boys and longing stares between vampires and human got exactly what they wanted.  And hey... sadly, this makes NEW MOON the most successful opening for a horror film of all time.

See the box office results posted by IMDB here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 01:51 AM | Permalink Digg This

According to Empire, Steven Spielberg is set to bring Stephen King's new novel Under the Dome to television.  King's novels have been adapted for television for ages, but never by someone of the caliber of Spielberg, who's also produced BAND OF BROTHERS.

The article notes the uneven quality among TV adaptations of King's work, and mentions the similarity of the novel's plot to THE SIMPSONS MOVIE, which Mike C. pointed out to me weeks ago.

King and Spielberg are arguably the biggest names in print and film, respectively, over the last 30 years.  I expect lots of people will watch this adaptation, just on the basis of this union.

Read the full article here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 05:05 PM | Permalink Digg This

Great news for Icons of Fright friend Tim Sullivan!  According to VH1, the director of 2001 MANIACS and Icons contributor with his SHOCK AND ROLL series, is set to replace James Gunn in the channel's SCREAM QUEENS 2 reality show.  Gunn directed scenes on-camera for the show, which acts as a contest for potential screamers, with the ultimate prize being a role in the next SAW film.  Season One's winner Tanedra Howard appeared in SAW VI (perhaps she would've been happier with a role in PARANORMAL ACTIVITY). 

Read VH1's official press release below:

 

Scream Queens 2 will take a new cadre of 10 aspiring actresses and give them the chance to win a breakthrough role in Saw 3D, the next film in Lionsgate’s Saw horror franchise. The reality competition series is produced by Lionsgate and Joke Productions, Inc. and is slated to premiere in 2010.

Season one winner Tanedra Howard was featured in the coveted and iconic “opening trap” scene in Saw VI, playing the character “Simone.” Due to her breakout performance and significant storyline, she is also expected to appear in future Lionsgate productions, a major coup for the previously undiscovered actress.

This season’s cast will once again be put through a horror film boot camp with intense physical challenges, learning how to work with creatures, gore, and stunts, while also building their acting chops. The winning actress will have to prove to the panel of judges that she has the talent, the looks, and especially the lungs to be a true Scream Queen.

Mentoring the hopefuls through the exacting process will be former model-turned-actress and horror film alum Jamie King (My Bloody Valentine, The Tripper). The cast will also be taught by Hollywood’s toughest acting coach, John Homa, and have their performances directed by Tim Sullivan (2001 Maniacs, Driftwood).

“Horror films continue to dominate the pop culture landscape and are some of the biggest film franchises out there,” said Jeff Olde, EVP Original Programming and Production, VH1. “Following the success of last season’s winner Tanedra Howard in Saw VI, we’re looking forward to working with Lionsgate to find the next great horror actress.”

“Real opportunities to break into feature films are rare in acting competitions and it’s great to be able to deliver on that promise,” said Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate’s president of television programming and production. “We’ve enjoyed a terrific collaboration with VH1 on Scream Queens, and look forward to building on the success of the series with even more exciting challenges in Season 2.”

“Tanedra did an amazing job in Saw VI,” said Jason Constantine, Lionsgate’s president of acquisitions and co-productions who oversees the Saw films, “and we’re excited about giving another deserving newcomer a role in Saw 3D.”

 

VH1 reality junkies and horror fans and Jigsaw lovers alike should eat up Season 2.  Enjoy the new gig, Tim!

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 10:39 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

EW is reporting that Fandango has taken in record numbers for pre-sales of tickets to TWILIGHT SAGA:  NEW MOON.  The article points out that the sales have surpassed those of each of the entries in the LORD OF THE RINGS, HARRY POTTER and second STAR WARS series.

So, could NEW MOON be the film that knocks TITANIC out of the all-time #1 box office slot?

If that sounds insane, bear with me for a second.  EW also mentions that NEW MOON's presales also outdid those for THE DARK KNIGHT, the #2 all-time box office winner.  TWILIGHT has had a full year to grow its following, many of whom went back and read the novels after seeing the first film.  If you still don't buy it, ask yourself this:  did you ever think that a $14,000 indie would go on to cross the $100 M mark? 

TITANIC has held the top slot through 12 years of increasing ticket prices and a dozen summers of blockbusters.  Eventually  something has to overcome it.  Could the second combined efforts of Teams Jacob and Edward be the flick to wreck the disaster flick?

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 09:45 PM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (1)

The third and final episode of Joe Dante's Netflix-exclusive SPLATTER premiered last week on Friday the 13th.  Not ones to be slackers, apparently,Dante and SPLATTER star Tony Todd are already onto new projects.  Dante is producing a movie called TRAIL OF BLOOD, which has a new website;  Todd is to begin work on Kilo Entertainment's ONE BY ONE.

The plot for TRAIL OF BLOOD sounds a lot like the story of Jack Ketchum's novel COVER;  both revolve around a veteran who's cut himself off from society to live in the woods, and goes on the attack once a group of campers invades his territory.  The website provides a trailer, which is a bit confusing, as much of what the crazed vet says sounds... well, crazed.  It seems as if the days of GREMLINS are long behind Dante, which is a shame.

ONE ON ONE sounds like familiar grounds for Tony Todd.  According to THR, he'll play Railroad Jack the Reaper (and really, that should either be Railroad Jack, or Jack the Reaper;  plugging them together makes the name both bulky and silly), a carnival owner who decides to kill a busload of teens when they crash on the old proverbial deserted highway.  It sounds cliche, but Todd excels at these roles, and usually brings something interesting to the table.  Todd mentioned ONE BY ONE in our Icons exclusive interview, which you should read if you haven't already.

It would be nice if both of these projects panned out, as SPLATTER was way too silly for me.  Dante and Todd deserve better material.

Check out the TRAIL OF BLOOD website here, and the THR article here.  And here's the TRAIL trailer (hehe) for you to take a look at.

 

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 08:37 PM | Permalink Digg This

As a testament to the power of TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON, WENN reports that the new Edward Cullen film has sold out 2,150 screenings a full three days before it opens.  200 of those are in New York and Los Angeles alone, WENN states, quoting Movietickets.com as its source.  Personally, I have a large group of relatives-- all female-- who have pre-ordered for the midnight show on Friday.  I'm not exactly upset that none of them thought to order me a ticket.

 

It looks as if NEW MOON will knock 2012 out of the top slot at the box office a mere one week after its release.  THE TWILIGHT SAGA has become a hype machine, and I wouldn't be surprised if this entry outsells the last.  Whether you're Team Edward or Team Jacob, you've likely already got a ticket for this Friday, and you can take pride in destroying the apocalypse and replacing it with a vampire plague.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:53 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

This cannot be a good sign.  Buried in a Variety article about the editing process and the movie PRECIOUS is the tidbit that Universal's redux of THE WOLFMAN is about to go under the knife again, this time at the hands of editors Mark Goldblatt and Walter Murch.  Goldblatt is a frequent collaborator with Michael Bay, and is primarily an action film editor.  Murch is a frequent collaborator with Francis Ford Coppola, and primarily edits long, well-respected dramas.

 

Ok, so how are these two supposed to fit together, and what does this mean for THE WOLFMAN?

It means trouble.  Calling anyone in to re-edit a film which has already had a change in director and rumors about struggles between practical and digital effects creators means Universal thinks the storytelling is not up to par.  Calling in the guy who edited STARSHIP TROOPERS to work with the guy who edited THE ENGLISH PATIENT is a disaster waiting to happen.  This project has been nothing but troubled from the start, and re-editing it now only suggests further trouble, especially when the job's to be done by two men with highly contrasting styles.

There's a reason we don't eat peanut butter on steak.  The two just don't gel.  I can only hope that Goldblatt and Murch will be able to make some sense out of THE WOLFMAN's narrative, because Universal seems not to know what do to at this point.  Larry Talbot's story is a horror archetype, and it would be nice to see it get the remake it richly deserves.

Read the full article at Variety here.  Though the majority of it has nothing to do with horror, it's an interesting read.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 12:22 AM | Permalink Digg This

 

EW.com posted an interesting interview with director Daniel Myrick, the auteur behind THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.    Myrick discusses the comparisons being made between his first film and the recent phenomenon PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, calling them "flattering," and going on to say, "It’s encouraging to see another film come out that’s in the spirit of the Blair Witch aesthetic. And the marketing approach that’s doing so well reaffirms in my mind that you don’t need to spend a ton of money to have a successful film."

Answering questions, Myrick doles out some advice for the new film's makers, and talks about how everyone knows PARANORMAL is a piece of fiction, whereas plenty of folks thought that BLAIR WITCH was real.

Myrick comes off as a positive guy who appreciates how the newer film is generating buzz for his decade-old blockbuster indie hit.  Read the rest of the interview here.

 

Posted by fasso at 03:36 AM | Permalink Digg This

EW.com is reporting that the TWILIGHT SAGA:  NEW MOON soundtrack had an auspicious debut at #2, after only three days of sales.  In that time, it garnered almost as many sales as TWILIGHT's soundtrack did in its first full week last year. Icons of Fright readers should be familiar with the week's #1 seller... Michael Buble`, the guy who kept Kiss from having their first #1 in a 35 year career, on last week's charts. 

I have a feeling that not too many genre fans are going to be happy with the Top 40 crooner.

Read the full article here.

-- Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 09:03 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

EW.com is reporting that WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE has pulled in an estimated $11.9 million, roughly four times the $4.3 million that this week's remake of 1987's THE STEPFATHER has pulled in.  Given the fact that WILD THINGS, based on Maurice Sendak's beloved children's book (Mom read it to me when I was young) has received a huge studio push and that STEPFATHER wasn't even screened for critics (usually a sign that a studio doesn't want movie goers brushed away by bad reviews), this shouldn't be a great surprise.  Perhaps more of note, though, is that PARANORMAL ACTIVITY made roughly $6.7 million on Saturday.  I think it may be time to call it this decade's BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, given its huge take on its miniscule budget of $11 thousand, and the overlapping subject matter.

Read EW's full report here.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:07 PM | Permalink Digg This

There's an interesting article in Variety on Hammer Films.  According to the article, Hammer has signed on with PFD publishing, who will solicit new writers to bring fresh takes to old scares.  The studio is most famous for its updates of Universal Classics horror films, which introduced a mixture of sex, violence and color film to their predecessors, and teamed Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.  Hammer made a recent revival on the internet, and hopes to expand its name to the literary world now.

 Older fans are likely to rejoice at this news, but I fear younger genre fans are more likely to know Lionsgate and Darren Bousman than Hammer and Peter Cushing.  I don't know how popular the studio is in its home country of England, but the statements made by PFD's CEO Caroline Michel that, "Hammer is an iconic household name with a loyal fanbase and the raft of forthcoming initiatives will create a whole new generation of devotees," seems like more than a bit of a stretch.  I wish Hammer the best, as I always liked their films (even the bad ones) and look forward to seeing what these literary endeavors will produce.

 Read the full article here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:20 PM | Permalink Digg This

There's an interesting article in Variety on Hammer Films.  According to the article, Hammer has signed on with PFD publishing, who will solicit new writers to bring fresh takes to old scares.  The studio is most famous for its updates of Universal Classics horror films, which introduced a mixture of sex, violence and color film to their predecessors, and teamed Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.  Hammer made a recent revival on the internet, and hopes to expand its name to the literary world now.

 Older fans are likely to rejoice at this news, but I fear younger genre fans are more likely to know Lionsgate and Darren Bousman than Hammer and Peter Cushing.  I don't know how popular the studio is in its home country of England, but the statements made by PFD's CEO Caroline Michel that, "Hammer is an iconic household name with a loyal fanbase and the raft of forthcoming initiatives will create a whole new generation of devotees," seems like more than a bit of a stretch.  I wish Hammer the best, as I always liked their films (even the bad ones) and look forward to seeing what these literary endeavors will produce.

 Read the full article here.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:20 PM | Permalink Digg This

  I still find it strange that they're remaking a Troma film that was directed by Lloyd Kaufman's brother, but for my fellow skeptics, there's more proof as of today:  The Mother's Day remake has its own website.  The original, about a demented mother and her brood who terrorize some people in the woods, is an underground favorite of Troma fans.  Darren Bousman of SAW and REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA fame is helming the remake, which is set to star Shawn Ashmore, who essays the role of Jimmy Olsen on SMALLVILLE, and Briana Evigan, recently in SORORITY ROW and daughter of Greg "B.J. and the Bear" Evigan.

Given the failure of SORORITY ROW and the popularity of Bousman, I'm interested to see how this one fares.  Check out the website here.

 

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 12:19 AM | Permalink Digg This

Hey TWILIGHT SAGA fans:  What do Edward Cullen, blaxploitation, German expressionism and SESAME STREET have in common?

This list.

Entertainment Weekly has compiled a "13 Great Pop Culture Vampires" list that includes some inspired choices.  The entries aren't numbered, so don't be shocked that Edward shows up early.  Though I was surprised that Gary Oldman's incarnation of Dracula shows up, as I didn't think he would reasonate on the pop cult zeitgeist so much anymore.  It's awesome, though, that there's now a list in this world that includes both Blacula and The Count.

 

 If you're in the mood for fangs and fun, give it a look!

 

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 05:18 PM | Permalink Digg This

Lists can be fun if I don't take them seriously.  I always like to see how other people compile "top" or "best of's," and it's cool to disagree with placements, omissions and inclusions.  As a zombie lover, I wanted to have a great time with Entertainment Weekly's "25 Best Zombie Movies of All Time."  Alas, as enjoyable as this one was for me to gloss over, I was majorly let down by two issues with the list.  Allow me to explain, as I prove that I took this list too seriously.

Any list is only as good as the person who assembles it.  And whoever assembled this one followed a regrettable trend common in EW's lists:  including recent material that may be hot now, but likely has no place on this list in the long run.  PLANET TERROR was a fun ride and I know how popular the underground [REC] is, but I find it hard to believe either would make this list in 20 years.  The real problem is, they're taking the place of justifiable entries that have longevity.

This isn't nearly as bad as the George Romero problem.  Yes, all five films in his zombie saga are represented, even DIARY OF THE DEAD, which many people despised.  But none of them make the top three.  As Romero is commonly acknowledged as the preeminent director of zombie lore, this is a sin.

Okay, for full disclosure, I take my zombies far more seriously than I take most lists.  As I once read in a book published by EW, the best thing about them is the fun in arguing them.  Give this one a look, and let me know if we should send these people after the folks behind this list:

 --Phil Fasso

Continue reading "EW's "25 Best Zombie Movies of All Time"" »

Posted by fasso at 05:16 PM | Permalink Digg This

Mad props of the week go out to Entertainment Weekly for today's A-Z list of zombies.  Icons readers by now know my love of the living dead, and the last seven or eight years have been golden for me, since zombies have been more in the mainstream, instead of marginalized to the "Didn't that Romero guy direct a few of those?"

EW's "A-Z:  An Alphabetical Guide to the Living Dead" does a pretty good job of listing zombie-related materials, though I question letters I and O, among others.  And what the Hell is Edward Cullen doing on this list?  He's a vampire, and has no place here, other than the magazine's desire to mention a hot trend where it has no place being.  The list does, however,  make up for these by mentioning Lucio Fulci, the movie SHOCK WAVES, and the rather underground porno/zombie combo EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD (embarrassed to own it, yes I am).

Look, I'm not very good at making lists if groceries aren't involved.  But EW, hot on the heels of ZOMBIELAND's big opening weekend, does a pretty nice job here.  Not exactly some of the choices I would have gone with, but pretty solid nonetheless.  And they reveal what the "A" in George A. Romero stands for.

 Read the full article here.  Or she'll come and get you!

 

--Phil Fasso

Continue reading "M is for Mainstreaming Zombies" »

Posted by fasso at 03:24 AM | Permalink Digg This

Apparently TRICK 'R TREAT isn't the only hot horror flick looking to go franchise this week.  In a recent interview with MTV.com, ZOMBIELAND writer Paul Wernick related his hopes that his recent #1 box office hit might get a sequel.  According to Wernick, after seeing the final cut of the film Woody Harrelson told him, "I've never wanted to do a sequel in the previous movies I've done until this one." Much like George Romero's DIARY OF THE DEAD, ZOMBIELAND started off as an idea for a TV pilot back in 2005, so its episodic origins would lend it to sequels.

The sequel might not come for a while, though.  Wernick and his writing partner Rhett Reese just handed in a draft for the SPIDERMAN spin off VENOM, and are also hard at work on a project tentatively titled EARTH VS. MOON.  But with the near $25 million draw of ZOMBIELAND'S opening weekend, it would be hard not to make a sequel at this point.

So while it looks as if we may never see WHITE MEN STILL CAN'T JUMP, look forward to ZOMBIELAND 2 at some point.

Read the full article here.

Posted by fasso at 04:56 PM | Permalink Digg This

According to MTV's Movie Blog, writer/director Michael Dougherty has more in store where TRICK 'R TREAT came from.  The X2 writer would like to put out sequels to the film every other October, if not every.  Dougherty thinks the anthology format leaves the film open to sequels.  He's even got much of the next film planned:

“I know how the next one ends, I know who the main villain would be – let’s just say that there’s a whole contingent of people out there who hate Halloween, who try to convince people that Halloween is a genuinely evil holiday that should be avoided. And I’d like to see Sam go up against one of those types.  No, no [it’s not a recurring character from the original film]. I just know the type of character – when I sat down to write TRICK 'R TREAT I knew that the final battle would be between Sam and a kind of Scrooge – Brian Cox’s character is very much Scrooge for Halloween. I know who that antagonist would be in the next film.”

TRICK R TREAT was an enjoyable film that acknowledged its influences.  The biggest influence on Dougherty's plan for sequels would obviously be the HALLOWEEN franchise.  Carpenter's original is a classic, but the many sequels that followed were uneven, and often inferior horror films.  Let's hope that Dougherty's series does not go the same way.

Click here for the full article.

Posted by fasso at 05:11 PM | Permalink Digg This

Adrien Brody:  sci-fi action star?  It seems to be, according to Variety.  20th Century Fox has added Brody, famous for his Oscar-winning role in maligned director Roman Polanski's THE PIANIST, to the cast of Robert Rodriguez' PREDATORS.  Variety claims that "Brody is playing a character close to (the Schwarzenegger lead) in the 1987 original. He's a mercenary who tries to keep his team alive when its members are hunted by the aliens." 

Okay, I'll say it.  This seems like the biggest case of miscasting since Kate Bosworth inhabited the role of Lois Lane and trampled it.  Brody has played edgy roles in SUMMER OF SAM and THE JACKET, but he doesn't seem lively enough to pull off a role that requires this much charisma.  And let's face it:  physically, he's way too small (he roughly weighs as much as Arnold's left calf).  Hopefully I'm wrong about this one, and Fox is betting that I am, because Variety states they've signed Brody to a multi-picture deal in hopes of turning this into a franchise. 

We'll have to see how this turns out.  For the time being, let's hope this casting isn't as bizarre as when Brody made out with Halle Berry at the Oscars.

Posted by fasso at 07:00 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

 

 

Max Brooks recently sat down with CNN to discuss his new graphic novel, THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE:  RECORDED ATTACKS.  With artwork provided by Ibraim Roberson, Brooks' new endeavor will chronicle humankind's fights with zombies all the way back to the dawn of man.  The author-- a self-described "history nerd" -- even brings the war between the dead and the living to feudal Japan, for some zombies vs. ninjas action. 

 As for working with Ibraim, Brooks says, "He's head and shoulders above most people illustrating today.  The book itself is unique and I wanted a unique look. His artwork is unlike anything else I've ever seen, zombies or otherwise ... . He's so meticulous."

 Brook's previous ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE is a step-by-step procedural on how to survive the zombie apocalypse.  I've read it, and thought it was brilliant and witty in taking a different stance on undead entertainment.  Brooks' fans should look forward to his upcoming graphic novel.

 

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 06:02 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

 

Writer/director Michael Dougherty recently sat down with mtv.com to discuss today's long-awaited appearance of his movie TRICK R TREAT, which has been floating around since 2007 awaiting an official DVD release.  In the article, Dougherty discusses how he's actually happy that the film didn't get a wide release in theatres, as he's assured it would have done poorly and disappeared by the time the weekend was done.  What's really interesting about the article is Dougherty's mention of the effect that Twitter and Facebook have had on the anticipation for the film.  According to the article, the film sports a perfect 100% on www.rottentomatoes.com, and the director mentions that the DVD is outselling TRANSFORMERS 2 on Amazon.

TRICK R TREAT has been plagued by a studio that didn't know how to handle its release, and it's good to see that horror fans nationwide will finally be able to get the DVD they deserve.  Now we'll see if it lives up to all the surrounding buzz.

 Read the full MTV article here.

Posted by fasso at 01:09 AM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (1)

According to Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton at Dread Central, Paranormal Activity is expanding to new locations.  The much hyped indie film will hit Toronto, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Cleveland, El Paso, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Hampton Roads metro area, Kansas City, Portland, Salt Lake City this weekend.

According to Barton, Paramount has promised to release the film nationwide once it receives one million requests from fans.  This is an odd marketing strategy for a major movie studio, but it sound effective.  Let's see if fans flock to this film in droves and get Paramount to distribute it coast to coast.

--Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 07:16 PM | Permalink Digg This

Icons resident staffer Mike Cucinotta recently noted that there's certainly no shortage of classic and revered horror films showing this October.  Well, genre fans who travel the convention circuit will not be left wanting this Halloween weekend, as three conventions hit different parts of the map, each bringing its distinct flavor.

Chiller Theatre:  This twice-yearly mega-event brings a number of faces to Parsippany, NJ.  The convention boasts mainstream stars such as Ann-Margret, Mickey Rooney and Monkey Davy Jones;  convention stalwarts the likes of Kane Hodder, Brinke Stevens and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD's Bill Hinzman;  and a few genre rarities such as Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart of NIGHT OF THE CREEPS.  Because of the recent downturn in the economy, Chiller has downsized this Halloween's show.  But I can personally attest:  I've been to every Chiller for 5 1/2 years, and I've never been disappointed.  Look forward to a show with a little bit of something for everybody.

 

 

The Living Dead Festival:  If you're more in the mood for the undead, and you plan on being in the Pittsburgh, PA area for All Hallow's Eve, then Gary Streiner has put together a show for you.  The LDF celebrates the 42nd anniversary of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, with the first-ever convention appearance of Judith Ridley, as well as a Streiner family reunion, as brother Russ and their mother join on the ghoulish fun.  The festivities conclude Saturday night with an outdoor showing of the film that inspired it all.  The LDF is a dream for fans of NIGHT that only Gary can provide.  I'm so impressed that I'll be attending both Chiller and Gary's show.

 

 

Fangoria's Trinity of Terror:  If I could stretch my endurance and bank account, I'd be sure to attend the Trinity of Terror, hosted by fellow website/horror magazing Fangoria.  Las Vegas will be swinging with horror films and celebrities.  The festival will include live music from Slipknot and a showing of George A. Romero's new zombie chapter, SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD.  There are far too many guests to list, but the headliners will be Malcolm McDowell, Romero, Roger Corman and... John Waters.  Remember, what happens at a horror convention in Vegas...

 Add in the upcoming Rock and Shock in Worcester, MA in two weeks, and genre fans across the map will have plenty of opportunities to meet their favorite horror celebrities.  So for lovers of film, conventions and heavy metal, there's a little bit of something for everyone this October.

 For information on each convention, click on the individual links.

Posted by fasso at 06:21 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

So a zombie and a blob walk into a bar...  Ok, I'm kidding.  As Rob Zombie prepares to remake the Steve McQueen classic THE BLOB, the people at Bloody-Disgusting recently caught up with him on the red carpet at the Chiller Eyegore Awards, where he had this to say:

 “I’m about halfway [done]."  Zombie also indicated that he's not sure what the Blob should look like:  “I’m still working on it, so I cant really say… I was thinking, you know, it wasn’t going to be a big red globby thing. I don’t know what it IS going to be, it’s more like I know what I DON’T want it to be.”  Apparently, it would be too easy to make the Blob look like... well, a blob.  For the 98% of the people who couldn't tell what was going on in H2 because the cinematography was so dark, Zombie also said he'd like to work with DP Brandon Trost again

 After the disappointing critical drubbing and fan reaction at the box office to H2, many fans are curious to see where Zombie's career as a horror director will take him next.  It'll be interesting to see how he re-envisions THE BLOB.

 To read Icons of Fright's first, second and third interviews with Rob Zombie, click on the links.

 

Posted by fasso at 04:31 PM | Permalink Digg This

 

The undead sure have a lot of life left in them.  According to the IMDB, the Woody Harrelson undead road trip ZOMBIELAND took the top spot at the box office this weekend, with an estimated $27.4 million.  It bested the previous front runner, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, by about $9 million.  Since 28 DAYS LATER came out in 2002, there has been an increasing interest in zombies for more than half a decade now, including yet another remake of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (please, don't even start me on this;  it's the film equivalent of trying to clone Jesus).  Given the recent box office failures of H2, SORORITY ROW and JENNIFER'S BODY, Harrelson and co. have every reason to pat themselves on their backs with their hedge clippers.

 --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 04:31 AM | Permalink Digg This

 

 

Gary Streiner is putting the final touches on his ode to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with this Halloween Weekend's Living Dead Festival, and people are starting to notice.  The fest recently garnered notice in the Pittsburgh Triblive, and Your North Hills.  The first article speaks of the timeliness of the festival and the timeless of the movie itself, while the second comes from the writer's very personal relationship to the film.  Gary's personal investment in not only the festival but in keeping the movie's history intact have made him beloved in the hearts of ghoul-lovers everywhere.  If you're a fan of Romero-style undead or zombies in general, Gary has a place for you in his heart and in Evans City, PA this Halloween weekend.

 The Living Dead Festival takes place on October 30-31, with many first-time guests such as Judith Ridley, as well as an outside showing of NIGHT on Halloween night, which Gary says should be held under a full moon.  Visit the Living Dead Festival's site, and be sure to make friends with him on Facebook.

                                                                                                                      --Phil Fasso

Posted by fasso at 03:13 AM | Permalink Digg This

The trailer for A Nightmare on Elm Street has dropped on MySpace. Since you probably haven't logged into your MySpace account since last spring here you go:

 

A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD

Jackie Earle Haley, Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker and Katie Cassidy are all starring in the latest re-imagining of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, and it opens April 30th, probably against something The Weinstein Company spent a lot of money on.

Posted by mikec at 07:03 AM | Permalink Digg This

A few days ago, we debuted the original GRACE short film complete with an addition video hosting a commentary with writer/director Paul Solet and FX artist (and ICONS own) Jay Alvino. (Check that out HERE!) The following day, we posted the 5 minute making of GRACE short film that our other resident writer Adam Barnick edited and produced. (See that HERE!) Now, we've got something else really special to share. Adam also did a 30 minute documentary of the original short film version of GRACE titled "It's A Girl: The Making of GRACE (2006)", primarily for the cast & crew and as a calling card for his documentary skills. He's literally been there since the beginning and he provides the features that are on the GRACE full length disc, so take a peek below at these rare behind the scenes videos of the original short film starring Liza Weil and Brian Austin Green. Enjoy!

Posted by RobG at 04:14 PM | Permalink Digg This

It's no secret that ICONS OF FRIGHT has had a long history with filmmaker Paul Solet and his movie GRACE. We've been firm supporters of this talented up and coming writer & director since we first met him at a Fangoria Weekend Of Horrors show back in 2005 and we were there to help out when the time came for him to make his short film version of GRACE back in 2006. Since then (as the story goes), the fine gents over at Ariescope stepped in and helped get the feature length film made. With GRACE: "The Movie" now out & available everywhere on DVD and Blu-Ray, we thought it'd be fun to go back and look at the original 6 minute short film that started it all. Not only that but we also put together a second version of the GRACE short film with a commentary track by writer/director Paul Solet and FX artist (and ICONS scribe) Jason Alvino. Check out the short (starring Liza Weil and Brian Austin Green) below, and then watch it again with commentary!

Check out our latest GRACE related interviews with writer/director Paul Solet, star Jordan Ladd and producer Adam Green. Click each image to read their interviews!







Written & directed by Paul Solet, starring Jordan Ladd (CABIN FEVER, DEATH PROOF), Gabrielle Rose, Malcolm Stewart, Samantha Ferris, Stephen Park & Serge Houde, & produced by Adam Green (HATCHET, SPIRAL) & Cory Neal from Ariescope with Anchor Bay Entertainment. NY street team photos can be found HERE!

Posted by RobG at 03:58 AM | Permalink Digg This

I like most horror fans have been clamoring for Dario Argento to deliver us something as interesting and exciting as some of his early works. I love stuff like OPERA, PHENOMENA (or CREEPERS as I remember renting it as a kid), TENEBRE (aka UNSANE), DEEP RED and of course SUSPERIA. Hell, I even love JENIFER, his episode for the first season of MASTERS OF HORROR, but... aside from that, I really haven't enjoyed Dario's work in quite some time.

With that said, I was able to get my hands on the script that Jim Agnew & Sean Keller wrote for GIALLO shortly after they wrapped shooting last year. I literally read it impatiently in one sitting. I truly believe it to be a terrific script and it gave me hope that Dario could potentially deliver his best film if only he could translate this script to film properly. And with Adian Brody as the lead, an Oscar winner (!) no less, I figured this was a sure bet.

Now, I haven't seen GIALLO yet, but... like most of you out there, I've been hearing the negative response from festival screenings to the finished product. It was one of the films most picked on by last month's FRIGHTFEST UK crowd, and as I skim through the message boards, I can't help but feel bad when people are cursing those "blasted American writers"...

OK. Let's think about this. What was the last feature length Argento movie you really enjoyed? Seriously. Really, really loved? MOTHER OF TEARS? DO YOU LIKE HITCHCOCK? THE CARD PLAYER? SLEEPLESS? PHANTOM OF THE OPERA? STENDAL'S SYNDROME? I can honestly say I don't really like any of the above Dario movies I just mentioned. Sure, there's bits and pieces in all of them that I like, but overall, they're not good movies.

With that said, before you see GIALLO and before you dismiss it, I thought I'd throw out there the script that I read way back when to show you just how good I thought it really was. I'm sad that this script got lost in translation along the way, but regardless, here it is for all you devoted ICONS readers to check out. You deserve to know what could've been. Right click on the following link to save it, or just click it to read:

http://www.iconsoffright.com/GIALLO.pdf

 

Posted by RobG at 03:37 AM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (3)

On Wednesday September 9th, the Muvico Theaters over in Thousand Oaks, California held a special cast & crew screening of Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN 2 in high quality 4k resolution. On hand for the event and to participate in a Q & A session after the movie were producers Malek Akkad & Andy Gould as well as cast members Tyler Mane (Michael Myers), Scout Taylor-Compton (Laurie Strode), Danielle Harris (Annie Brackett), Brea Grant (Mya Rockwell), Angela Trimbur (Harley David) and Jeffrey Daniel Phillips (Uncle Seymour Coffins, Howard). We were treated to a never before scene featurette with the Coffin's character titled "Uncle Seymour Hits Hollywood" and then the show got under way!

The Q & A consisted of general stories about the working experiences in the shooting locations of Georgia, stories about working with Rob Zombie as a director and fun little tid-bits like favorite moments or kills in the new flick. Tyler and Scout fought a bit over the mic, especially when trying to clarify a funny story about how Scout accidentally stabbed Tyler in the shoulder with a real knife on their first night of shooting on the first HALLOWEEN. Akkad gave out posters, masks and fun HALLOWEEN themed collectibles and the group filled us in on what was up next for them. (Apparently HALLOWEEN 3D isn't as sure a thing as the recent news posts have indicated.) All in all a fun event, especially for a die-hard HALLOWEEN fan. Below are some pics from the Q & A session! ENJOY! 

Continue reading "Pictures From The HALLOWEEN 2 Cast & Crew Screening!" »

Posted by RobG at 07:04 AM | Permalink Digg This

It's been quiet on Sony's end regarding their remake of THE STEPFATHER, but it is still coming and it hits theaters on October 16th. A website just went live at http://welcometothefamily.com for the flick which features the trailer (see it below), some new images in the gallery & some downloads. Check it out!

THE STEPFATHER remake is rumored to borrow elements from the first 2 original movies. You can read our FRIGHT exclusive interview with STEPFATHER 2 director JEFF BURR by clicking HERE or the teaser image below!



Directed by Nelson McCormick (PROM NIGHT) from a script by Joe Cardone, the STEPFATHER remake stars Dylan Walsh, Sela Ward, Penn Badley, Amber Heard, Paige Turco, Braenden LeMasters, Skyler Samuels and Jon Tenney. It's out on October 16th, 2009! More when we hear it!

Posted by RobG at 06:29 AM | Permalink Digg This

I can not wait until October 6th! Because the DVD and Blu-Ray of Michael Dougherty's TRICK 'R TREAT finally comes out and I plan on watching it every day until Halloween night! Yahoo has debuted another brand new trailer for the much praised Halloween anthology, and this one by far best represents the tone of the movie itself. This is out 'A CHRISTMAS STORY' for Halloween! Check it out embedded below!

Check out the official website at: http://trickrtreat-movie.warnerbros.com

TRICK 'R TREAT was written & directed by Michael Dougherty (X-MEN 2, SUPERMAN RETURNS), produced by Bryan Singer (THE USUAL SUSPECTS, X-MEN) and stars Quinn Lord, Brian Cox (RED, MANHUNTER, X-MEN 2), Leslie Bibb (MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN, IRON MAN), Dylan Baker (SPIDER-MAN 2, HAPPINESS), Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin (from HBO's TRUE BLOOD), Moneca Delain, Lauren Lee Smith, Tahmoh Penikett, Lauren Lee Smith, Britt McKillip, Isabelle Deluce, Jean-Luc Bilodeau, Alberto Ghisi & Samm Todd.

Posted by RobG at 06:17 AM | Permalink Digg This

It'll be on video on demand starting October 1st and then bowing for a limited theatrical release on October 30th, Ti West's much talked about new film THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL now has a brand spanking new red-band trailer courtesy of Hulu. Check it out below, along with a few news stills and the film synopsis!

From writer-director Ti West comes THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL, a satanic thriller set in the 1980s starring Jocelin Donahue (JT Petty’s forthcoming THE BURROWERS), indie ingénue Greta Gerwig (HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS, BAGHEAD), Tom Noonan (SNOW ANGELS, MANHUNTER), Mary Woronov (EATING RAOUL, THE DEVIL’S REJECTS), AJ Bowen (THE SIGNAL) and Dee Wallace (E.T., Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN).

Sam (Donahue) is a pretty college sophomore, so desperate to earn some cash for a deposit on an apartment that she accepts a babysitting job even after she finds out there is no baby. Mr. and Mrs. Ulman (cult actors Noonan and Woronov) are the older couple who lure Sam out to their creeky Victorian mansion deep in the woods, just in time for a total lunar eclipse. Megan (Gerwig) is Sam’s best friend, who gives her a ride out to the house, and reluctantly leaves her there despite suspecting that something is amiss. Victor (Bowen) at first seems like just a creepy guy lurking around the house, but quickly makes it clear that Sam will end this night in a bloody fight for her life....

Posted by RobG at 05:35 AM | Permalink Digg This

A few days ago, we posted a listing of the features you can expect on the upcoming TERMINATOR: SALVATION DVD and Blu-Ray release. Now, Warner Brothers has provided us with an official release date: December 1st, 2009.

The single disc DVD will feature the original theatrical trailer along with both Widescreen and Fill Screen versions of the movie. It looks like the Blu-Ray's got all the good though including both theatrical and director's cut versions of the movie, Maximum Movie Mode - An McG video commentary similar to what Zach Snyder did for WATCHMEN where the director hosts in front of the movie as it plays, and much, much more. (See our previous post HERE for a full list of features.)

The latest in the TERMINATOR franchise is directed by McG and stars Christian Bale as John Conner, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anton Yelchin, Common, Moon Bloodgood and Michael Ironside.

Posted by RobG at 05:09 AM | Permalink Digg This

IMAGO producer Mel House got in touch and hooked us up with a few exclusive stills from the flick, along with info on it's trailer debut! The film stars Natalie Jones (Walking Distance), Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 and 5), Danielle Jones (Sweatshop), Melanie Donihoo (Closet Space), Parrish Randall (The Quick and the Undead), and Debbie Rochon (Nowhere Man). Newcomer Chris Warren directs while Mel House's Upstart Filmworks produces from a screenplay by Warren and House. Associate producers include Ted Geoghegan (Barricade) and musician Jonah Matranga (FAR). Here's the trailer info:

Upstart Filmworks will be debuting the IMAGO trailer at the Texas Blood Bath Film Festival in November (http://www.texasbloodbath.com/). Our 2007 feature CLOSET SPACE is screening as part of the festival, and we'll be unveiling the IMAGO trailer as well as a new WALKING DISTANCE clip right before the CLOSET SPACE screening. So for all those Texas folk that keep clamoring to see our multi-dimensional tentacle extravaganza...this may be your only chance this year!




Pic 1:  Sean Brison
Pic 2:  Natali Jones and Omar Adam
Pic 3:  Parrish Randall

Posted by RobG at 02:50 AM | Permalink Digg This

One month left! Lionsgate brings the newest Ghost House Underground releases - Seventh Moon, Offspring, The Thaw and The Children - to DVD and Blu-ray Disc just in time for Halloween, along with The Gate: Monstrous Special Edition. These chilling releases creep into stores on October 6th.

Ghost House Underground
These terrifying tales are handpicked by the most trusted names in horror, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, the creative forces behind The Evil Dead franchise and Drag Me to Hell.

"We are very proud to present these films that feature the most talented, up and coming directors who work in our favorite genre. With Ghost House Underground, we have the opportunity to present these distinctive horror films to a discerning and enthusiastic audience." - Sam Raimi

"These films all embody the independent spirit of Ghost House Underground. They maintain the quality that people expect from a Ghost House release and I feel strongly that we will be seeing more from these filmmakers in the future." - Rob Tapert

Seventh Moon Synopsis:
Seventh Moon "will send chills down your spine..." (Dread Central.com). Director Eduardo Sanchez, winner of the 1999 Cannes Film Festival Award of Youth for The Blair Witch Project, "returns with a brilliantly conceived and executed supernatural thriller" (Fantastic Fest). According to an ancient Chinese myth, on the full moon of the seventh lunar month, the gates of hell open and the dead are freed to roam among the living. While honeymooning in China, a young newlywed couple takes part in a sacred event that honors these spirits. Unfortunately their enthusiasm borders on mockery and their disagreeable charm ends in angry glances among the locals. As night falls, their tour guide abandons them in a desolate field. What they thought was a joke is becoming far too real as they fight to survive the night of the Seventh Moon.

DVD/Blu-ray Disc special features include:

* Audio commentary with writer/director Eduardo Sanchez and actress Amy Smart
* "Ghosts of Hong Kong: The Making of Seventh Moon" featurette
* "The Pale Figures" featurette
* "Mysteries of the Seventh Lunar Month" featurette

Offspring Synopsis:
They Hunt in Packs. They Feed on Flesh. They prey on innocence. They are back with a vengeance and an insatiable appetite for human flesh. Their time has come - again. Based on the acclaimed novel and adapted for the screen by bestselling author Jack Ketchum, Offspring follows the survivors of a brutal flesh-eating clan that has re-surfaced in the once sleepy town of Dead River, Maine. The locals are in for a rude awakening when they realize it's the same pack that the sheriff thought he killed off a decade ago. Just when they thought the nightmare was over, they're about to discover that the fight for their lives has only just begun. The film was included in the Fangoria Weekend of Horror and Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear.

DVD/Blu-ray Disc special features include:

* Audio commentary with writer Jack Ketchum, director/producer Andrew Van Den Houten and producer/cinematographer William M. Miller
* "Progeny: The Birth of Offspring" featurette
* Webisodes
* Photo gallery
* Printable script

The Thaw Synopsis:
Val Kilmer (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) stars as a renowned environmental advocate, Dr. David Kruipen, who discovers the real horror of global warming in the frightening new film The Thaw. When Dr. Kruipen discovers the carcass of a woolly mammoth in a polar ice cap, he helms a team of four bright ecology students and leads them in a research mission at a remote Arctic station. The group uncovers information beyond their wildest dreams...and nightmares...when a pre-historic parasite revives and searches for a new warm-blooded host. Now, infected, the unsuspecting students are forced to choose between a quarantine that will result in their burial ground or a global epidemic.

DVD/Blu-ray Disc special features include:

* Behind the scenes footage

The Children Synopsis:
You brought them into the world. They will take you out. A family anticipates a Christmas filled with sledding, laughter and hot cocoa as they head to their vacation home in the secluded backcountry. The holiday cheer takes a fast turn for the worst after a mysterious flu-like virus sweeps through the kids. One by one the children become deadly. Amidst the suspicion, mayhem and murder, the parents must fight for survival against their own twisted offspring. The Children was declared "relentless, primal horror" (Guardian), a "taboo shattering movie" (Time Out), "Village of the Damned for the 21st Century" (IGN.com) and Steve Niles, author of the graphic novel 30 Days of Night says, "I will never go near a playground again!"

DVD/Blu-ray Disc special features include:

* Deleted scenes
* "The Making of The Children" featurette
* "Shooting on Location" featurette
* "Paul Hyett Talks Prosthetics" featurette
* "Snow Set Design" featurette
* "Inside Tom Shankland's On Set Lair" featurette
* "Working with The Children" featurette

Pricing: DVD $19.98 each
Pricing: Blu-ray Disc $29.99 each

The Gate: Monstrous Special Edition
The Gate debuts in a Special Edition DVD this October from Lionsgate. Starring Stephen Dorff (Public Enemies), Kelly Rowan (TV's "The O.C.") and Jennifer Irwin (HBO's "Eastbound & Down"), the film is a terrifying tale about three children who accidently open a gate to hell which releases demons from an ancient civilization. The Gate: Monstrous Special Edition is loaded with new special features including audio commentary with the director, writer and special effects supervisor, plus two featurettes that examine the filmmaking process and the original theatrical trailer.

They are here and they want to meet the neighbors. After an old tree is removed from the ground, three teenagers come across a special rock with a beautiful crystalline center in their backyard. The rock enthralls them and they dig up the family's lawn in a search for more of the precious stones. However, instead of stones, they find The Gate: a hidden underground chamber that holds the secret of centuries and the vengeance of eternity. Their actions inadvertently liberate a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from the hole and what follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth.
Pricing: DVD $19.98

Posted by RobG at 02:31 AM | Permalink Digg This

DVDActive is reporting that ORPHAN will hit DVD and Blu-Ray on October 27th. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (HOUSE OF WAX) from a script by David Johnson (based on the story by Alex Mace), ORPHAN stars Peter Sarsgaard, Vera Farmiga, CCH Pounder and Isabelle Fuhrman as Esther.

As far as bonus material for the discs, DVD Active states, "The only extra material on the DVD release will be additional scenes and an alternate ending. The Blu-ray release will include those scenes, along with a Mama's Little Devils: Bad Seeds, Evil Kids and Orphan featurette, and a digital copy of the film."

Check out the cover below! And read all our interviews from ORPHAN's theatrical release at our previous post HERE!

Posted by RobG at 02:23 AM | Permalink Digg This

Have you guys checked out Tim Sullivan's follow-up to 2001 MANIACS, DRIFTWOOD? If not, it's a great little film you should check out and it'll actually be premiering on Chiller TV this Friday September 11th at 10PM. Below is the full press release about the airing! Check it:

Tim Sullivan’s teen ghost story DRIFTWOOD will be making its network premiere on NBC Universal’s Chiller network Friday, September 11th at 10 PM.

THE STORY: Riddled with guilt over the loss of his rock star older brother, 16 year old David Forrester (Ricky Ullman) becomes obsessed with death, leading his misguided parents to send him to Driftwood, an "Attitude Adjustment Camp for Troubled Youths" run by the sadistic Captain Doug Kennedy (Diamond Dallas Page) and his brutal young henchman, Yates (Talan Torriero). Once there, David becomes haunted by the spirit of Jonathan (Connor Ross), a former inmate who met a mysterious end; a mystery whose resolution could very well be David's only way out..............

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: After completing production on the horror comedy 2001 MANIACS, an admittedly over-the-top, decidedly non-PC “Splatstick”, co-writer/director Tim Sullivan found himself disturbed by a post-Columbine trend in America; the proliferation of privately owned and run “Attitude Adjustment Camps” for youths deemed troubled and problematic by their parents. Though some youth, in fact, may require severe response to their crimes and violence (i.e. hardened youth offenders who actually find their way into the government run juvenile prison system), the psychology (and business plan) behind these “Adjustment Camps” is to play upon the fears of wealthy parents unable to relate to their teenager that Little Johnny’s troubling behavior may actually be the budding seeds of the next teen “Columbine Killer”. The horrid part is that the definition of ‘troubling’ could easily be that Junior listens to AFI and HIM, reads FANGORIA magazine, wears black, has piercings in unseen places, and (horror of all horrors) may actually prefer the same sex to the girl next door. Thus, on a regular basis, kids who just don’t click with Mom and Dad are being shipped to attitude adjustment camps all over the USA, where they are brutalized, programmed and in some extreme cases, actually murdered (as recently exemplified by the headline making death of a young boy in such an Attitude Adjustment Camp in Florida). The greatest nightmare of all— If Little Johnny is under the age of 18, he’s got no legal rights whatsoever, and if Mom and Dad sign him over, he’s a prisoner till he turns 18. And so, with 2001 MANIACS and SNOOP DOGG’S HOOD OF HORROR under his belt, Sullivan enlisted writing partner Chris Kobin to tackle another type of horror for his follow-up. A complete flip in vibe from the broad tone of his first two features, DRIFTWOOD is a character driven supernatural thriller that has been described as STAND BY ME meets GHOST STORY. It’s Sullivan’s way of expressing his driving philosophy (as expressed in his first producing effort, the cult classic DETROIT ROCK CITY) that no one should be forced to be what they are not, for if and when that does occur, the real nightmares truly do take shape… Welcome to DRIFTWOOD.

Sullivan is currently editing the follow-up to 2001 MANIACS (entitled BEVERLY HELLBILLYS), which will have its US premiere at the American Film Market this November.

CHECK OUT SHOWTIMES FOR DRIFTWOOD on CHILLER TV at www.chillertv.com

Channel 257 on DIRECT TV
Channel 199 on the DISH NETWORK
Channel 193 on VERIZON FiOS
Channel 153 on AT & T U-Verse

Posted by RobG at 01:58 AM | Permalink Digg This

The day after Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN 2 opened, the Weinstein Company already announced it's intention to release HALLOWEEN 3D by next summer, no doubt to follow hot on the heels of last weekend (and this weekend's) number one movie THE FINAL DESTINATION. Not only that, but with the recently announced remake of THE BLOB, this HALLOWEEN would have to go on without Zombie. Last week's rumor was that HALLOWEEN: H20 director Steve Miner was circling the project. Seems now we have a different name.

In a recent Variety post, Patrick Lussier the director of MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D is in negotiations to write and direct the next HALLOWEEN movie, HALLOWEEN 3D. Considering his long standing history with Dimension having edited for Wes Craven on the SCREAM movies, RED EYE and even Miner's H20, paired with the successful box office of his MY BLOODY VALENTINE remake, it comes as no surprise.

We're waiting on confirmation, but frankly... we're hoping Lussier can pull this off. Not only would they have to rush to get this movie in theaters by next summer, but... would you want to follow-up Zombie's 2 HALLOWEEN movies? We say reboot it again. Go in a whole new direction with new characters except for Michael of course. More when we hear it!

Posted by RobG at 07:42 PM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (7)

Despite the fact that original producer Donald Borchers recently directed his own remake of CHILDREN OF THE CORN (debuting on SyFy September 26th), Bob Weinstein announced via Variety that his company & Dimension Films is prepping their own "re-envisioning". Ehren Kruger (SCREAM 3, THE RING, TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN) is adapting from the original Stephen King short story.

Referring to the original 1984 film, Weinstein said, "We felt the New World film was a missed opportunity. If you read the short story, it's got such a strong feeling to it and there's this religious overtone to it as well. Ehren wants to hit it hard. It's popular in Hollywood to say you re-envisioning a project but a lot of the time they're just carbon copying the original. We are bringing something new to the story."

No word on when it'll go into production, but we'll keep you posted. In the meantime, the other remake debuts on the SyFy channel on September 26th, with a DVD release set for October 6th.

Posted by RobG at 07:26 PM | Permalink Digg This

Want to attend a special cast & crew screening of Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN 2? Well, now's your chance! The event is taking place September 9th at the Muvico Theaters located at 166 West Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. You can order tickets on-line at www.muvico.com or by telephone at 805-496-5487.

In attendance for a special Q & A after the screening will be stars Tyler Mane, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, Angela Trimbur, Jeff Daniel Phillips, along with producers Malek Akkad and Andy Gould. Details on the flier below! ENJOY!



Check out ICONS complete HALLOWEEN 2 coverage:







Make sure to read our set reports from H2 by clicking the images below!

HALLOWEEN 2 SET REPORT! PART ONE: FX ARTIST WAYNE TOTH! (Click image below to read it!)

HALLOWEEN 2 SET REPORT! PART TWO: PRODUCER MALEK AKKAD! (Click image below to read it!)

HALLOWEEN 2 SET REPORT! PART THREE: PRODUCER ANDY GOULD! (Click image below to read it!)

HALLOWEEN 2 SET REPORT! PART FOUR: ACTRESS SCOUT TAYLOR-COMPTON! (Click image below to read it!)

Posted by RobG at 05:47 PM | Permalink Digg This

MTV has just debuted this new clip with a scene between Kyle Gallner and Megan Fox in JENNIFER'S BODY in theaters September 18th. Check it out below!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Check out a behind thew scenes look from ET at our previous news post HERE! There's another on-set video that we posted a few weeks back right HERE!

Check out the "PSA announcement" with Megan Fox at our previous news post HERE. The theatrical one-sheet poster is at our previous news post HERE! Watch the "red-band" trailer for JENNIFER'S BODY at our previous news post HERE and the "green-band" one HERE! The flick stars Megan Fox as the title character, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Kyle Gallner & Lance Henriksen. JENNIFER'S BODY was directed by Karyn Kusama from a script by Diablo Cody (writer of JUNO).

Synopsis: When a gorgeous cheerleader is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a small Minnesota farming town, her "plain Jane" best friend must kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshipping rock band responsible for the horrible transformation.

Posted by RobG at 12:16 AM | Permalink Digg This

Twitchfilm.net just debuted the first official clip from George A. Romero's latest zombie opus, SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD! Below is the description that goes along with the clip:

In a world where the dead rise to menace the living, rogue soldier Crocket (Alan Van Sprang) leads a band of military dropouts to refuge from the endless chaos. As they search for a place "where the shit won't get you," they meet banished patriarch Patrick O'Flynn (played with zeal by Kenneth Welsh), who promises a new Eden on the fishing and ranching outpost Plum Island. The men arrive, only to find themselves caught in an age-old battle between O'Flynn's family and rival clan the Muldoons. It turns out that Patrick was expelled from the isle for believing that the only good zombie is a dead zombie, while the Muldoons think it's wrong to dispatch afflicted loved ones, attempting to look after their undead kinfolk until a cure is found. But their bid for stability on the homestead has turned perverse: the undead are chained inside their homes, pretending to live normal lives - and the consequences are bloody. A desperate struggle for survival will determine whether the living and the dead can coexist.

Such apocalyptic themes have long haunted George A. Romero, much to the delight of his legions of fans. He now follows Crocket, a minor character from his last film, Diary of the Dead, to present a new doomsday scenario. In that film, Crocket made a brief appearance with his militia to appropriate the heroes' supplies at gunpoint. For Crocket's subsequent journey, Romero does something that most horror directors have neglected to do in recent years - he uses the genre to address societal issues. Romero here creates a world in which he can wrestle with the human condition while simultaneously finding new and creative ways to exterminate lurching flesh eaters.

See a slew of pictures at our previous news post HERE. Follow Uncle George Romero via Twitter at http://twitter.com/OfficialRomero! Also, you can keep tabs on the latest DEAD film via the official My Space page at: www.myspace.com/OfficialGeorgeRomero. See the first behind the scenes segment HERE!

Artfire Films and Romero-Grunwald Productions present “GEORGE A. ROMERO’S SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD”. A film by George A. Romero. Producer: Paula Devonshire. Executive Producers: Peter Grunwald, Art Spigel, Dan Fireman, Ara Katz, Michael Doherty, DJ Carson, Bryan Gliserman. Director of Photography: Adam Swica. Editor: Michael Doherty. Production Designer: Arv Greywal. Costume Designer: Alex Kavanagh. Composer: Robert Carli. Featuring: Alan Van Sprang, Kenneth Welsh, Devon Bostick, Kathleen Munroe, Richard Fitzpatrick.

Posted by RobG at 12:06 AM | Permalink Digg This

"He's not Freddy. He's not Jason. He's real." I'll never forget seeing that tagline for the first time on the VHS box of HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, which is still one of those disturbing genre films that gets to me. How far we've come that now we're getting a Blu-Ray special edition of the movie courtesy of Dark Sky Films on September 29th.

Features include: commentary, deleted scenes & outtakes, a making-of documentary, a documentary on real life killer Henry Lee Lucas, trailers, storyboards and a stills gallery. Check out the cover artwork below as well as the synopsis:

"Based on actual events, this controversial and critically-acclaimed horror classic chronicles a few short weeks in the life serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas.

Michael Rooker gives a bone-chilling performance as Henry, a solitary drifter who leads his dim ex-jail mate Otis (Tim Towles), on a senseless killing spree through the streets of Chicago. Choosing their victims at random, they vary their methods of execution to avoid detection. Meanwhile, Otis unsuspecting sister, Becky (Tracy Arnold), comes to visit and finds herself falling in love with Henry.

Filmmaker John McNaughton directed HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, a provocative portrayal of a mass murderer that continues to shock and disturb twenty years after its debut."

PRE-ORDER IT BELOW:

Posted by RobG at 11:54 PM | Permalink Digg This

The official website for THE HILLS RUN RED has launched over at: http://www.hillsrunred.com. You'll be greeted by the trailer upon arrival to the page, but also DVD info, synopsis, a gallery with some brand new images, video clips, desktops, buddy icons, blogs from the films characters and more! Check it out now over at: http://www.hillsrunred.com

Check out a slew of images at our previous news post HERE.

Synopsis:  A film fanatic's obsession with finding a complete print of a classic slasher movie leads him and two friends into the backwoods where the film was shot. They realize too late that filming never ended -- the movie's star, the deformed, murderous BABY FACE, and his twisted family continue to film and kill unsuspecting victims. Now our heroes must survive the nightmarish onslaught or become part of the movie forever.

THE HILLS RUN RED stars Sophie Monk, Tad Hilgenbrinck (LOST BOYS: THE TRIBE), William Sadler (THE MIST, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION), Alex Wyndham and Janet Montgomery (WRONG TURN 3).

Make sure you check out our exclusive THE HILLS RUN RED interview with director DAVE PARKER! Click HERE or the image below to read it!

Posted by RobG at 11:47 PM | Permalink Digg This

Whoa! The full length trailer for the eagerly anticipated Spanish sequel [REC] 2 can now be seen over on THIS website! The original [REC] served as the (practically shot-for-shot) basis of last year's QUARANTINE. The follow-up is once again directed & scripted by Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plazo. [REC] 2 is set to start hitting the festival circuit shortly. We'll keep you posted on release details when we hear 'em! See the new trailer HERE!

There's also some cool stuff over on the official Filmax website for [REC] 2. (If you can understand Spanish, of course) Check it: www.rec2lapelicula.com



Read our first look of [REC] by clicking the image below! The original [REC] comes to DVD in the US on July 14th!

Posted by RobG at 04:47 AM | Permalink Digg This

Entertainment Weekly has a new behind the scenes video on JENNIFER'S BODY, which you can check out embedded below:

There's another on-set video that we posted a few weeks back right HERE!

Check out the "PSA announcement" with Megan Fox at our previous news post HERE. The theatrical one-sheet poster is at our previous news post HERE! Watch the "red-band" trailer for JENNIFER'S BODY at our previous news post HERE and the "green-band" one HERE! The flick stars Megan Fox as the title character, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Kyle Gallner & Lance Henriksen. JENNIFER'S BODY was directed by Karyn Kusama from a script by Diablo Cody (writer of JUNO).

Synopsis: When a gorgeous cheerleader is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a small Minnesota farming town, her "plain Jane" best friend must kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshipping rock band responsible for the horrible transformation.

Posted by RobG at 04:43 AM | Permalink Digg This

Lionsgate has announced a slew of new Blu-Ray discs all hitting store shelves on November 24th. Below's a breakdown of titles with their respective features:

FRAILTY Synopsis:
Fenton Meeks approaches an FBI agent one night claiming he knows the identity of a vicious serial killer. The FBI agent is unimpressed until Fenton reveals that the killer is his younger brother Adam. Fenton recounts in a series of flashbacks, how he and his brother, grew up in a very loving family, raised by their widowed father. All that changed, the day his father awoke, believing he had been visited by an angel and given a mission to destroy "demons" - seemingly normal people who walk the earth as pure evil. Fenton's father and brother Adam swear to carry out this 'divine' mission. Out of loyalty however, Fenton refused to go to the police, until now. Believing Fenton's startling tale of the slaughter of innocents, the FBI agent follows him to the family's rose garden only to be surprised that neither evil nor innocence are what they seem. The Blu-ray Disc is presented in newly remastered 1080P High Definition Widescreen and features 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio and French 5.1 Dolby Digital. Special features include three separate audio commentaries, "Anatomy of a scene," a "making-of" featurette, deleted scenes, storyboards and a photo gallery.

Lionsgate brings a trio of horror favorites to Blu-ray Disc for the first time on November 24th. Cujo: 25th Anniversary Edition starring Dee Wallace (E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial), plus cult classics The Monster Squad: 20th Anniversary Edition and My Bloody Valentine: Special Edition all make their debut on Blu-ray.

CUJO: 25th Anniversary Edition Synopsis:
Based on the frightening best-selling book from the king of horror himself, Stephen King, Cujo has become a film classic. In a bizarre case of nature versus humanity, a Saint Bernard infected with rabies from a diseased bat attacks a mother and her son. When the family becomes trapped in their car, they must depend on their wits to defeat the crazed canine. The Blu-ray Disc is presented in 1080P High Definition 16x9 Widescreen and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Blu-ray Disc special features include audio commentary with Director Lewis Teague and the three part documentary, "Dog Days: The Making of Cujo."

THE MONSTER SQUAD: 25th Anniversary Edition Synopsis:
Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy and the Gillman - adjourn to earth in search of a powerful amulet that will grant them power to rule the world. However, a bunch of kids regarded by their peers as losers and outsiders uncover the devious plan and prepare for a counter strike. Now, our heroes - the Monster Squad - are the only ones daring to stand in their way. The Blu-ray Disc is presented in 1080P High Definition 16x9 Widescreen and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Blu-ray Disc special features include a five-part retrospective featurette Monster Squad Forever!, a classic interview with the Monster himself A Conversation with Frankenstein, deleted scenes, an animated storyboard sequence and more!

MY BLOODY VALENTINE: Special Edition Synopsis:
On Valentine's Day 20 years before, an explosion of methane gas took the lives of a group of coal miners working in the Hanniger Mine near the small town of Valentine Bluffs. The accident occurred because supervisors left their posts to attend the annual Valentine's Day dance. A year later, Harry Warden, the only survivor of the accident, retaliated by killing the two supervisors and leaving a terrifying warning never to hold another Valentine's Day dance. After two decades have passed, despite warnings, a group of young adults start preparations for another dance. When a blood-soaked heart arrives at the police station, accompanied by an ominous message, the dance is canceled. However, a Valentine party is held in its place at the coal mine and it isn't long before people begin dying violently. It appears Warden has returned to punish those who did not heed his warning. The Blu-ray Disc is presented in 1080P High Definition 16x9 Widescreen and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Blu-ray Disc special features include the featurette "Bloodlust: My Bloody Valentine and the Rise of the Slasher Film," "Bloodlines: An interactive Horror Film History" and deleted footage.

Pricing: Blu-ray Disc $19.99 each

Posted by RobG at 04:36 AM | Permalink Digg This

Ah, let the guessing game begin! Lionsgate has released the first official promotional still from SAW VI, but naturally... we have no idea what's going on in it, other then something sinister in nature! Check it out below:



Check out the latest SAW VI poster HERE. See the other theatrical poster HERE! Check out the trailer at THIS post here & the theatrical poster HERE. The awesome "motion" poster can be found at our previous news post HERE!

SAW VI hits theaters October 23rd, 2009. Long time SAW editor Kevin Greutert directs the latest sequel SAW VI which stars Shauna MacDonald, Devon Bostick, Marty Moreau, Karen Cliche, Shawn Mathieson, Melanie Scrofano, James Gilbert, Shawn Ahmed, Janelle Hutchison, Gerry Mendicino, Caroline Cave and Ginger Busch with Tobin Bell returning as Jigsaw, Shawnee Smith as Amanda (both for flashback sequences), as well as Costas Mandylor.

Visit the official site: http://www.saw6film.com

Posted by RobG at 04:31 AM | Permalink Digg This

Summit Entertainment has provided us with the following 13 images from SORORITY ROW. You can click on any one of them for high resolution versions. Check 'em below!

We'll have interviews with the director and cast of SORORITY ROW later in the week, so check back soon for those. In the meantime, make sure to watch the latest TV Spot at at previous post HERE. See the trailer & 1st poster at THIS post! The international poster HERE, the theatrical one-sheet poster HERE! Another poster right HERE! And the "final" one-sheet HERE!

An update/remake of Mark Rosman's 1983 THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW, the new version is set to open in theaters on September 11th. Stewart Hendler directed from a script by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger and it stars (cutie) Briana Evigan (S. DARKO, FEAR ITSELF: NEW YEAR'S DAY), Rumer Willis, Audrina Patridge (INTO THE BLUE 2) and Carrie Fisher.

Posted by RobG at 04:57 PM | Permalink Digg This

Dark Sky Films and Glass Eye Pix announced today that Kelly McGillis ("Top Gun," "Witness," "The Accused") has joined the cast of the epic vampire road film "STAKE LAND," currently filming in New York and Pennsylvania.

The film, written by Jim Mickle and Nick Damici and directed by Jim Mickle ("Mulberry Street"), takes place following a global spread of vampirism. McGillis plays a nun who joins a small team of survivors (including Damici, Danielle Harris of "Halloween" and "Halloween 2" and Conor Paolo of "Gossip Girl") as they make a treacherous journey north to safety through the war-torn U.S. McGillis' character, "Sister," faces a crisis of faith during the vampire bloodshed, ultimately taking up arms to do battle with her newly formed family unit.

Says Dark Sky's EVP Greg Newman, "Jim and Nick have written a uniquely intense part for "Sister", and we are thrilled to see Kelly McGillis in the role. This is a very ambitious project, with a genuinely epic sweep, and we cannot wait to bring it to audiences next year."

The film is produced by Dark Sky Films and Larry Fessenden's Glass Eye Pix with producers Derek Curl, Peter Phok, Brent Kunkle, Adam Folk, and Fessenden, who also appears in the film. Says Fessenden, "I have been wanting to work with Jim Mickle since I saw his short films years ago. My enthusiasm for his approach to genre was peaked with MULBERRY STREET, so when we were putting together the Dark Sky Slate, Mickle was on my short list of directors. I think this one will add legions of fans."

Glass Eye Pix and MPI recently teamed up to produce Ti West's "House of the Devil," which is slated for a fall release from Magnolia pictures and "Bitter Feast," which recently wrapped principal photography.

Posted by RobG at 04:29 PM | Permalink Digg This

Bloody-Disgusting is reporting that Ben Ketai is set to direct 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: DARK DAYS, the official sequel to David Slade's 30 DAYS OF NIGHT. Based on the original comic book sequel DARK DAYS, writer/co-creator Steve Niles also penned the script with Ketai. Ketai has experience in the 30 DAYS OF NIGHT universe having worked on the web series "30 DAYS OF NIGHT: BLOOD TRAILS" and "30 DAYS OF NIGHT: DUST TO DUST." The character of Stella Oleson (played by Melissa George in the first film) plays a major role in the story of DARK DAYS, but according to BD will be recast for this direct-to-DVD sequel. Shooting begins tentatively in October in Vancouver. More when we hear it!

Posted by RobG at 08:32 AM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (2)

It always seems like foreign cinema is where it's at in terms of new & original horror flicks, so after the success of Bong Joon-ho's THE HOST, it comes as no surprise that a sequel was inevitable. Directed by  Ning Hao (the director behind CRAZY STONE), THE HOST 2 shot earlier this year and now it looks like we've got our first look at the creature via this test image found on TwitchFilm.net (courtesy of Daum) Check it out below!



Too early to say the release date but we'll keep you posted as soon as we hear something!

Posted by RobG at 08:06 AM | Permalink Digg This

Late in the weekend, The Weinstein Company announced it's intentions to continue the HALLOWEEN franchise with HALLOWEEN 3D. And not only would they be aiming to get a 3D Michael Myers movie in theaters by next summer, but it'll be a different take from what Rob Zombie had established with his 2 HALLOWEEN flicks. In that last post, it was hinted that "the studio was in negotiations with a new director, who has experience in horror." Rumor going round through all the other horror outlets is that it may be Steve Miner.

Steve Miner is no stranger to the genre, nor to Michael Myers. He directed HALLOWEEN: 20 YEARS LATER aka H20 starring Jamie Lee Curtis. His other genre credits include the recent DAY OF THE DEAD remake, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 and LAKE PLACID. Hell, he's got 3D experience having also directed FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3.

For now, let's consider this a rumor until confirmed, but could be interesting to see what Miner's take on Myers is, 10 years after H20. (Just... get the mask right this time, k?)

Posted by RobG at 07:54 AM | Permalink Digg This

OK... this is probably about the 3rd time I'm referring to a new SORORITY ROW poster as the "final" theatrical one sheet poster, but... Summit Entertainment keeps pumping them out! With the release date set for Friday September 11th, I'm willing to bet this is in fact the last theatrical poster you'll see for the flick. Check it out below:


We'll have interviews with the director and cast of SORORITY ROW later in the week, so check back soon for those. In the meantime, make sure to watch the latest TV Spot at at previous post HERE. See the trailer & 1st poster at THIS post! The international poster HERE, the theatrical one-sheet poster HERE! And one more poster right HERE!

An update/remake of Mark Rosman's 1983 THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW, the new version is set to open in theaters on September 11th. Stewart Hendler directed from a script by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger and it stars (cutie) Briana Evigan (S. DARKO, FEAR ITSELF: NEW YEAR'S DAY), Rumer Willis, Audrina Patridge (INTO THE BLUE 2) and Carrie Fisher.

Posted by RobG at 07:41 AM | Permalink Digg This

There's a remake coming of the Michael J. Fox comedy TEEN WOLF, only it's not traditionally what you'd expect. The Hollywood Reporter says that MTV is readying a pilot of the hit 80's movie as a jumping point for a series.

The article says: The 1985 film starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who discovers he is a werewolf. The MTV version will be set in high school, draw from the horror genre to explore werewolf mythology and include a romantic plot line.

"It has a fresh take and is very different from the original," said Liz Gateley, senior vp MTV series development. "It has more of an 'American Werewolf in London' feel to it. It's a dramatic thriller with two best friends in the center who provide a great comedy element: They are two very relatable characters on the outer circles of popular cliques."

The new "Wolf" was written by "Criminal Minds" creator Jeff Davis, who executive produces the pilot with Marty Adelstein (Fox's "Prison Break") and Rene Echevarria (ABC's "Castle").

We'll keep you posted on when we hear more!

Posted by RobG at 07:36 AM | Permalink Digg This

Actress Rebecca De Mornay will take on the lead role in Darren Lynn Bousman's remake of MOTHER'S DAY says The Hollywood Reporter. "Every time you look at (Rebecca), she is on fire, and to take her to this level, which is like her role in 'Hand That Rocks the Cradle' times a thousand, is exciting," Bousman said. "She is not some Freddy Krueger or Jason, so it was important for me to get a real actress."



Bloody-Disgusting is reporting that Patrick Flueger (KILL THEORY) has also recently joined the cast. Also on board, TRUE BLOOD's Deborah Ann Woll, Briana Evigan (S. DARKO, SORORITY ROW), Alexa Vega, Jaime King (MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, THE TRIPPER), Shawn Ashmore (FROZEN), Matt O'Leary (SORORITY ROW) & Tony Nappo. Darren Lynn Bousman (helmer of the SAW sequels and REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA) directs from a script by Scott Milam. MOTHER'S DAY is based on the 1980 Charlie Kaufman movie of the same name.

You can read Briana Evigan's recent comments on her role in the flick in our previous news post HERE!

Posted by RobG at 07:08 AM | Permalink Digg This

New York – August 31st, 2009 – The Wagner/Cuban Companies' Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired North American rights to Bong Joon-Ho’s MOTHER, which debuted at Cannes in Un Certain Regard earlier this year to stellar reviews. Gearing up for a Bong Joon-ho retrospective, Magnolia has also acquired BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE, Bong’s 2000 debut which was previously unreleased stateside. Magnolia had a big hit in 2007 with Bong’s THE HOST, and is excited to be the American home for the filmmaker, one of the most dynamic and exciting on the world stage today.

MOTHER is a unique thriller about a mother’s primal love for her son. It stars Kim Hye-ja (in what critics are calling one of the best performances of the year) as a mother who throws herself body and soul into proving the innocence of her son who she believes to be wrongly accused of murder. The Korean selection for this year’s Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, MOTHER continues its prestigious run on the festival circuit this fall—it is an official selection in both the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. Magnolia plans on releasing the film theatrically sometime early next year.

BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE is a dark comedy about an out-of-work college professor who is driven mad by the sound of barking dogs in his apartment building, eventually resorting to kidnapping them. Never released stateside, Bong’s directorial debut is a must-see for fans as it has hints of things to come with his later works, especially THE HOST.

“We are thrilled to be in the Bong Joon-Ho business again, and to be doing our first deal with CJ Entertainment,” said Magnolia Senior Vice President Tom Quinn . “MOTHER is one of the best films of the year from one of the world’s most versatile, exciting directors, and BARKING DOGS makes a great addition to our growing library. We want to be releasing Bong’s films as long as he keeps making them.”

“I'm very thrilled that Magnolia will be distributing MOTHER to the wider audience in North America ,” said Bong. “Having previously worked with Magnolia on THE HOST, I am well aware of their love and passion for film. I hope MOTHER can once again fuel up the interest of North American audiences in Korean cinema.”

‘We are very excited to find a passionate partner like Magnolia, who successfully launched THE HOST in North America and has a real understanding of Bong’s films,” said Senior Vice President Kini S. Kim for CJ Entertainment. “With Magnolia distributing both MOTHER, and BARKING DOGS NEVER BITE, we know his unique, fun and exciting filmmaking will reach wider audiences.”

Posted by RobG at 09:13 PM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (1)

Spike have opened up their page for the SCREAM 2009 awards and you can vote now for all your favorites of this past year! Vote for The Ultimate Scream, Best Horror Movie, Sci-Fi Movie, Actor, Actress, Best Ensemble, Best Director, Best Holy S***! Scene Of The Year and many, many more! Plenty of fan favorites are on the list this year - LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, DRAG ME TO HELL, WATCHMEN, STAR TREK, TRUE BLOOD, DEXTER and many more!

Vote now: http://www.spike.com/event/scream2009/

The 4th annual Scream event tapes on Saturday, October 17 at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles!

Posted by RobG at 09:01 PM | Permalink Digg This

At the recent roundtable interview for SORORITY ROW, actress Briana Evigan talked a bit about her upcoming role in the MOTHER'S DAY remake. Here's some quotes of what she had to say!

"Darren Lynn Bousman’s directing it. Jaime King is attached as the other female lead. I do not know who the mother is yet, um since we’ve been so busy (that) I haven’t heard a word. But I can tell you that this movie is sick. It’s really, really sick. But what I liked about it so much is that it’s a concept that’s way too close to home. That family means more then anything and that you’d go do absolutely anything for them. And… that’s the way my family is. God, I just pray that nothing like this would happened because we’d take care of each other. (Laughs)"

When pressed about which role she's got in this one, she said, "I’m not a part of the family in this, I’m someone who’s held hostage. I’m one of the main hostage people. So I get to be really bad-ass again and extremely 20 times more then in SORORITY ROW. I’m pretty much the tough, stonewall that everyone’s intimidated by. She’s super hot and sexy. Not slutty in anyway. We’re trying to find the fine line so that we don’t get into that pedigree at all. I’m changing my hair for it and everything, changing my appearance. I’ll have a big tattoo on my back. So it’s definitely sexy and edgy and very tough and this girl does not put up with anything, so she’s ready to fight everybody and kill everybody she needs to kill. (Laughs)"



Rebecca De Mornay was just announced as the "mother", with the rest of the cast consists of TRUE BLOOD's Deborah Ann Woll, Briana Evigan (S. DARKO, SORORITY ROW), Alexa Vega, Jaime King (MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, THE TRIPPER), Shawn Ashmore (FROZEN), Matt O'Leary (SORORITY ROW) & Tony Nappo. Darren Lynn Bousman (helmer of the SAW sequels and REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA) directs from a script by Scott Milam. MOTHER'S DAY is based on the 1980 Charlie Kaufman movie of the same name. More when we hear it!

Posted by RobG at 08:45 PM | Permalink Digg This

After Dark Films have announced LAKE MUNGO as their 3rd acquisition for the upcoming HORRORFEST 8 FILMS TO DIE FOR, the 4th of the annual festival set to hit theaters on January 29th, 2010. LAKE MUNGO joins the already announced DREAD (the latest Clive Barker adaptation written & directed by Anthony Deblasi) and THE GRAVES. Here's the official press release and a pair of images:

Los Angeles, CA (August 27, 2009) — After Dark Films CEO Courtney Solomon has announced that After Dark has inked a deal with Arclight Films to feature Lake Mungo in it’s next incarnation of After Dark Horrorfest®: 8 Films to Die For. The supernatural mystery is written and directed by Joel Anderson making his feature debut. Talia Zucker, Rosie Traynor, David Pledger and Martin Sharpe star. Georgie Nevile and David Rapsey produced. Dana Lambert, VP of Acquisitions at After Dark brokered the deal with Arclight Films who represented the filmmakers in the negotiations.

In Lake Mungo, sixteen-year-old Alice Palmer drowns while swimming in the local dam. When her body is recovered and a verdict of accidental death returned, her grieving family buries her. The family then experiences a series of strange and inexplicable events centered in and around their home. Profoundly unsettled, the Palmers seek the help of psychic and parapsychologist, Ray Kemeny. Ray discovers that Alice led a secret, double life. A series of clues lead the family to Lake Mungo where Alice's secret past emerges.

“Joel has created an eerily crafted, suspense piece that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats and will leave them with a sense of unease for days to come.” stated Solomon. “We’re pleased to bring such an original film to audiences in the US.”

Gary Hamilton, Managing Director of Arclight Films, added, “Arclight is extremely proud of the continuing success of Joel’s film and feel that After Dark has the right vision to bring maximum success for Lake Mungo in the US market.”

After Dark Films will continue to announce their line up over the upcoming months leading up to the January 29, 2010 release. “With Horrorfest entering its fourth year, we’re pleased that we can continue to bring to our fans exciting, new films that expand the entire horror genre.” added Solomon.

Joel Anderson is repped by UTA.

After Dark Horrorfest 4 runs for one week in theatres across the United States from January 29nd – February 5th, making it the largest nationwide film festival.

After Dark Films: Founded in 2006 by film producer/director/writer Courtney Solomon and real estate and textile financier Allan Zeman, After Dark Films is a leader in independent film finance, production and acquisition of genre films for theatrical release.

After Dark is perhaps best known for its creation and execution of After Dark Horrorfest® – 8 Films to Die For® (www.horrorfestonline.com). Debuting in 2006, After Dark Horrorfest ® is a one week national film festival that celebrates all areas of the horror genre. In its first year, Horrorfest became the first film festival in history to break into the Top 10 at the national box office, grossing over $2.5 million Additionally, it reached great success with over 1.6 million DVDs currently in circulation through distribution partner Lionsgate.

After Dark's initial film release was the box office success An American Haunting (2006), written, directed and produced by Courtney Solomon. An American Haunting opened at the #2 spot in the nation, and maintained its position for four weeks. Subsequent releases include The Abandoned; Skinwalkers, starring Jason Behr, Rhona Mitra and Matthew Knight; Captivity, starring Elisha Cuthbert and directed by Oscar-nominee Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields), and Frontier(s), directed by Xavier Gens (Hitman)

Earlier this year it was announced that After Dark Films is making its first foray into television by partnering with Lionsgate and IFC to co-produce the best selling book series, Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, written by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Posted by RobG at 07:32 PM | Permalink Digg This

Wow. That was fast and... obvious. The big winner this weekend at the box office wasn't Rob Zombie's sequel HALLOWEEN II, but rather THE FINAL DESTINATION 3D. So, fresh from that loss, Bob Weinstein from The Weinstein Company announced via the LA Times today that HALLOWEEN 3D is in development.

From the article: "Weinstein said Rob Zombie, who directed "Halloween II" and 2007's reboot of the 31-year-old horror series, won't return for "Halloween 3-D." He said the studio is in negotiations with a new director, whom he declined to name, who has experience in horror and has a "different take" on the franchise."

Well... we've never seen a HALLOWEEN flick in 3D. And it'll be nice to see a "new take" on Michael Myers after these last 2 flicks.

With a "new take" on the horizon, no word on if Scout Taylor-Compton or Tyler Mane would be returning to reprise their roles as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers respectively. Although in our recent interviews, they both seemed keen. (Check that out HERE!)

Also of note: The LA Times article lists "Summer 2010" as the release date for HALLOWEEN 3D. Considering the 3D process and the fact that no one's officially attached yet, there is NO way in hell they can make the movie in that amount of short time... but ya never know?

More when we hear it!

Posted by RobG at 11:23 PM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (5)

Not sure if anything additional could make a good movie out of the terribly disappointing TERMINATOR: SALVATION, but regardless, we can expect an "R-rated Director's Cut" of the film when it hits DVD & Blu-Ray according to Blu-Ray.com. No confirmed release date for the US, but it looks like the UK is getting the DVD on November 23rd. Below is the cover art and special features courtesy of www.terminatorchronicles.com.

Blu-ray High Def Bonus Material

* “Re-Forging the Future” – Go behind the scenes of Terminator Salvation with an exclusive set tour.
* “The Moto-Terminator” – See how the Terminator Salvation visual effects crew and Ducati partnered to create the slick and deadly Moto-Terminator!
* Maximum Movie Mode featuring director McG deconstructing the film’s key moments.
* Picture (PiP) commentary with cast and crew interviews, storyboards, still galleries, timeline and more!
* Plus, 11 mini featurette focus points spotlighting how the ground-breaking special effects were created!

BD LIVE Content Includes:

* “Resist Or Be Terminated” Tech Com videos (nine viral videos from the theatrical campaign and four new videos from the Home Entertainment campaign)
* “The Final Resistance” video – access the secret plans of Skynet
* CINECHAT – BD-Live technology that lets viewers around the world chat live about this, or any other CINECHAT enabled BD disc, from Sony Pictures International Home Entertainment!



The latest in the TERMINATOR franchise is directed by McG and stars Christian Bale as John Conner, Sam Worthington, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anton Yelchin, Common, Moon Bloodgood and Michael Ironside.

Posted by RobG at 11:03 PM | Permalink Digg This

Blu-Ray.com got a listing of special features from 20th Century Fox for their upcoming DVD release WRONG TURN 3: LEFT FOR DEAD. Video will be presented in 1.85:1 1080p AVC accompanied by a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. And special features include:

- "Action, Gore and Chaos!" featurette
- "Brothers in Blood" featurette
- "Three Finger's Fight Night" featurette
- Deleted Scenes

The DVD streets on October 20th, along with a Blu-Ray boxed set of all 3 WRONG TURN movies that same day. Check out the DVD cover art below!


Directed by Declan O'Brien, WRONG TURN 3 stars Tom Frederic (THE OXFORD MURDERS), THE HILLS RUN RED's Janet Montgomery, Mike Straub, Tamer Hassan, Gil Kolirin and Chucky Venice (RETURN TO HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL).

You can watch the trailer at our previous news post HERE and check out the new poster HERE!

Posted by RobG at 10:58 PM | Permalink Digg This

Earlier this week, ICONS OF FRIGHT was invited to join in on a series of roundtable interviews for HALLOWEEN 2. (Now playing in theaters!) We've decided to pair up the interviews in batches and offer them to you in their entirety. ('Tis the ICONS way!) Beware of major spoilers! We've done our best to mark them before you get to them, that way you can come back after you've seen the movie. Keep in mind that several journalists are asking questions here, so ICONS is credited when it's us asking. This edition features the writer/director himself, ROB ZOMBIE! Enjoy!


Rob Zombie:

What’s the fun in horror movies?

That’s funny, that was the last question they just asked me in the other room. I didn’t really have a good answer. For me, it’s just movies period. Not necessarily horror movies. I just like dark, violet material.

Why?

I don’t know why? Its funny, because I’m writing this thing about CLOCKWORK ORANGE for the DGA magazine, and I was doing some research and I found that Roger Ebert gave this movie a horrible review when it came out in 1972. And everything he said which is why he hated it is exactly why I like it. So I don’t know.


Hard childhood?

I guess, yeah. I don’t know! If you’re life is weird and fucked up, you like to see things that are weird and fucked up.

What movie scared you as a kid?

Weird things are scary when you’re a kid. I think probably the scariest thing, as stupid as it sounds was THE WIZARD OF OZ with the flying monkeys and the witch. I remember seeing that when I was really little and it still seems freaky. Seems really fucked up!

ICONS: That and WILLY WONKA scared the shit out of me.

Yeah, WILLY WONKA too! Not even like, I’d watch FRANKENSTEIN and it never seemed scary yet somehow THE WIZARD OF OZ was a freak show.


ICONS: So, HALLOWEEN 2. Obviously you had quite a time restraint to get this movie in theaters by August 28th. Hope it didn’t compromise what you wanted to do. Is the movie coming out in theaters essentially what you set out to do? Will there be a longer director’s cut for the DVD? I know there’s tons of material that didn’t make it into the theatrical cut.

Um, ya know, except for THE DEVIL’S REJECTS, I feel like everything has been compromised in some way by scheduling. Because THE DEVIL’S REJECTS was the only movie I ever made that had no release date. We worked on it and worked on it until we got it right. Or at least until we felt we got it right. We sort of looked at it and thought, ya know? There’s nothing else I want to change. There’s nothing else I want to do. Whereas, I’ve never had that luxury since. And um, I don’t know what would be different. The thing is – editing is a crucial time and when you get rushed through that process, you’re never 100 percent sure that you’ve got exactly the perfect take of every actor, or the perfect moment because there’s so much footage to go through and so you do your best to do it with the time that you have. As far as a longer cut for the director’s cut, there is another version of the movie that’s very, very different that will probably be the director’s cut. There were 2 ways we could cut the movie. The way we cut it for the theatrical, Laurie Strode’s character is the main difference in the two. (In the theatrical) She’s holding it together, getting her life together and it starts spiraling downward. In the other version, she’s an incredible mess and gets worse. She never has any good moments, she’s just messed up, she’s lashing out at everyone, she’s horrible. Messed up on drugs, she’s just completely spun out through the whole movie. It makes for a real challenging movie to watch and I feel like I don’t know if fans would’ve embraced so much darkness.


Is there still a white horse motif in that version?

Yeah, everything’s the same in that version except for her. There’s other scenes with her, and mostly with Annie. Her relationship with Annie is horrible and they’re at each other’s throats through the whole movie. They are not in the theatrical version.

What's the story with the leaked unused trailer?

The trailer that got leaked I remember really, really liking.


What was the inspiration for the white horse motif?

Well, I wanted – the horse thing, I was just trying to find some significant thing that could be a through line. It could’ve been anything, it’s not so much that that’s so significant. It had to be some minor event from young Michael Myer’s life that he has stuck in his brain. That I could then tie through to Laurie. And that just seemed like – the white horse is such a great visual image. And then when I started researching these meaning of dream type books, even though it’s a bunch of bullshit to me. They all reference this great significance with the white horse. And I put the definition at the beginning of the movie. It seemed like the perfect childlike image to carry through.


For your characters, is there an urge to get behind the violence and anger?

Well, I like making everything a bit wishy-washy in the sense that, we don’t want people to feel bad for Michael Myers necessarily, but I don’t want him to just be the “villain”. That’s why I like giving him something he didn’t have much of in the other movies is making him a character. It’s a little bit like you might feel a little bit bad because he’s this big hulking monster that’s basically still got the brain of a 10 year old boy. And who’s been locked away his whole life. Like I was saying, it’s like the FRANKENSTEIN scenario. No matter what he does, it’s still sort of this misunderstood monster scenario and I always find that more interesting. I guess with growing up with all those old movies that always had that motif to it.


This one’s more your feel. How’d the 2 differ for you?

This film to me is more like a logical follow-up to THE DEVIL’S REJECTS. Whereas HALLOWEEN the first one seemed like a weird side step, where I think because it was someone else’s material, it kinda of messed with me. I made the first half of the movie my thing, and the second half I felt well I should bring in more John Carpenter beats because that’s what people are going to be expecting. But as soon as I started doing that, I don’t think I had quite the enthusiasm for the film as I did with the new stuff, because the fun of it is creating your world and when you go ‘oh ok’, Annie Bracket and Lynda and Laurie. These are someone else’s characters. That’s why in this movie, I tried to flip them all upside down and make them my characters.


Any interest in moving away from horror?

Yeah, totally. Even after my first movie I wanted to move on. The thing is, it’s hard to get movies made. It’s virtually impossible. It’s hard to get people to green light projects, so you just sort of take them as they come and try to deal with them. I didn’t want to make HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES PART 2. So I thought I’m going to make this movie called THE DEVIL’S REJECTS and make it totally different and make it like this post-modern Western. Technically it’s a follow-up, it’s the same characters, but I had no interest in re-visiting what I’d already done. It’s sort of the same thing with HALLOWEEN II. I tried to push it away from what I had done. People come into something called HALLOWEEN expecting something.


Also coming to expect something from you as well.

Yeah, so there’s expectations on something like this.

What's next? THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO?

EL SUPERBEASTO is done. That comes out September 22nd. And that’s an animated movie that’s a comedy. It’s totally different then anything I’ve ever done. It’s sort of like X-Rated SCOOBY DOO. And it’s ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. It’s part musical, part comedy. It’s crazy.


What scary movies do you go to see?

I don’t know. I tend to avoid horror movies at the theater, because I always think they’re going to be lousy. And my friends work on them so they’ll tell me in advance, oh man this movie’s terrible. Don’t waste your time! So it kills your excitement factor. (Laughs)

So you haven’t seen the big horror movies of the last few years like HOSTEL or SAW?

I saw HOSTEL and I saw HOSTEL PART 2. It gets weird because you’re friends with these people, so I really want to go see Eli’s movies and support Eli. SAW, I saw the first one, I haven’t seen any of the other ones. Um – It’s not really my type of thing. Even if they’re awesome. It’s just not my type of thing. I don’t know. Even if it’s 500 DAYS OF SUMMER. Everyone loves that, so I went to see that and it’s just not my thing. I thought it might be my type of thing.

But you're often paired up with those filmmakers as part of the "Splat Pack".

I don’t relate to that. I don’t want to be part of any group that’ll have me as a member. So as soon as I heard “The Splat Pack”, I was like please, kick me out of that group. If there’s one thing as a director that you don’t want to be, it’s part of a “group”. I just have an aversion to that. Same thing with music, whenever there’s a “scene”, I just don’t want to be part of a scene. Just leave me alone! That’s just my nature. It’s nothing against the people that are in that group. They’re all friends of mine & I know all of them and they’re all great. I just like to be left alone.

Is TYRANNOSAURUS REX next?

It’s a boxing movie, actually. Yeah, it’s about this guy named Rex. His nickname is “Tyrannosaurus Rex” and it’s about this washed up prize fighter who goes to prison for assaulting these guys in a bar because he’s kind of this born to loose out of control personality. And when he gets out of prison, he’s too old to box so he gets caught up in underground fighting. Because he’s so filled with rage that he can’t control himself in normal society. It’s pretty dark. That’d be a darker movie then HALLOWEEN. That might be my next movie and that’s not a horror movie.

Given your tight schedule on editing, was this movie tougher then the first HALLOWEEN?

Yeah, I will not make another movie under these circumstances, it’s just not the way to do it. When you lock into a release date and then you move the release date up by 2 months, it’s just not good. It’s good for everything but the cast, crew and people who are creatively trying to make a film. (Laughs)


Post is always the part that is rushed and the most crucial.

That’s where you make or break a film. With DEVIL’S REJECTS, we didn’t reshoot anything on that, we had limited time, that was the cheapest movie we made. But we had the time to craft it afterwords. For this one, luckily I always use the same editor and we have a really good short hand, usually he immediately gravitates towards the takes I like best so he knows & we can work really fast. But I don’t know. The problem is and everybody says it, nobody makes movies anymore, they just make schedules and budgets. They don’t make movies anymore. Unfortunately it’s so true.

A lot of filmmakers for these types of films say making these movies is very therapeutic. Is that how it is for you?

I think so. Everybody’s just so repressed, that if they could get more sex and violence into their life, they might feel happier. Not necessarily at the same time!


Can you talk about the kills in HALLOWEEN 2?

The killing I always try to keep very basic and brutal, because that’s the thing about some of these movies, they get really into concocting elaborate scenarios which make sense if that’s the movie, but for this movie it doesn’t.

Is this more intense then the first HALLOWEEN?

It might be. It’s definitely more violent I think. It’s nastier. It’s uglier and grosser.



Be sure to check out our other HALLOWEEN 2 INTERVIEWS! (Click each image below to read them!)








Rob Zombie returns to write and direct HALLOWEEN 2, which stars Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, Brad Dourif, Sherri Moon Zombie, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, Caroline Williams, Margot Kidder, Daniel Roebuck, Chase Wright Vanek, Dayton Callie, Richard Brake, Matt Bush, Howard Hesseman, Bill Fagerbakke, Jeff Daniel Phillips & Mark Christopher Lawrence. HALLOWEEN II is in theaters now!

Posted by RobG at 10:19 PM | Permalink Digg This

Earlier this week, ICONS OF FRIGHT was invited to join in on a series of roundtable interviews for HALLOWEEN 2. (Now playing in theaters!) We've decided to pair up the interviews in batches and offer them to you in their entirety. ('Tis the ICONS way!) Beware of major spoilers! We've done our best to mark them before you get to them, that way you can come back after you've seen the movie. Keep in mind that several journalists are asking questions here, so ICONS is credited when it's us asking. This edition features all the lovely ladies of HALLOWEEN 2! Scout Taylor-Compton (Laurie Strode), Danielle Harris (Annie Brackett), Brea Grant (Mya Rockwell) and Sheri Moon Zombie (Deborah Myers). ENJOY!


Scout Taylor-Compton:

In the original HALLOWEEN series, Jamie Lee got to come back 20 years later. What’s it like for you to come back a few years later?

Our Laurie Strode is definitely different. For Jamie Lee, she revisited the character 20 years later. I felt like I created Laurie Strode in my own way and Rob’s way. And took it in a realistic way.


What do you appreciate about horror movies?

I love horror movies. I love the feeling of walking out and feeling very uncomfortable with what I just saw. I love that, that’s what horror movies are supposed to do, right?

Did growing up with horror movies, coupled with your father's profession help prepare you for HALLOWEEN 2?

Yeah, It definitely did. It helped me a lot, especially with my dad being a mortician. But it was very uncomfortable, because I was stuck in the gurney for 8 hours straight and I couldn’t move, I couldn’t get up. I’ve seen that stuff a lot and it’s truly uncomfortable.


ICONS: With the exception of the ending scene in the first movie, this one seems a lot more physically demanding of you. Was this a tougher movie to make? The 2nd one?

This one was tough, honestly. It was a lot for me to do. It was very tough emotionally. It was really, really tough emotionally. I felt like I was going crazy while filming this movie because I was always upset or sad. I felt like I was bipolar. Every time I was on set, I had to play a different feeling. So to portray that, it just took a lot out of me. Honestly, what you guys have seen, that wasn’t all of it. There’s a lot more that I put into the movie, but Rob had to tone it down a bit. Honestly it was really sad just seeing this girl go down this path and not being able to control it. It was fun.


I was always sad that she had to buy her own copy of the book.

(Laughs) Yeah, she had to pay for it. They didn’t even send her a copy!

ICONS: One of the coolest things about this movie from your perspective as an actress is playing against people like Brad Dourif, Malcolm McDowell, Margot Kidder. Great actors. Can you talk a bit about working with the other actors in this movie, people that maybe you looked up to and learned from?

Oh gosh. Nerveracking? Totally completely nervous. Totally goo-goo eyed. I envy these people, I really do. Not just the actors, but Rob. Just working with him, I’m such a fan. And to actually be a good friend of his is amazing. And working with Malcolm who’s an amazing actor. To be able to sit with him and have a normal conversation and ask him about his life and having that trust. Even with someone new like Margot Kidder, and hearing all these stories & kind of thinking “What am I getting myself into with these scenes? I’m about to do these emotional scenes and work with somebody who’s supposedly crazy!” But no, she’s so amazing. She’s really an amazing person. And we got really close actually, and we only filmed for a day and that was a lot.


ICONS: There were a couple of scenes with her, no? Because there’s only one in the final movie.

Yeah, and we did all our scenes in one day. We met the night before, and the next day we felt so comfortable with each other. She was very cool. With Brad, I just love Chucky! (Laughs) That’s always like “how’s Chucky?”

ICONS: It’s hard not to hear his voice and think of Chucky!

Exactly! I didn’t know it was him while I was filming the first one and then I found out at the premiere and then I went crazy. From then on, I’d hear Chucky anytime he spoke!


ICONS: Can you elaborate more on working with Brad and Danielle, because Brad has a lot bigger of a part in this one, he’s your surrogate father in this one. I thought he stole the movie pretty much.

Yeah, Brad is great. Um, he’s an amazing, amazing actor. He’s very dedicated to his work and you get used to that. Danielle’s great. I had a couple of tough scenes with Danielle, which were really tough to get out of. She’s just so amazing to work with and I feel like, she’s like my older sister. So it was great doing these scenes with her.

ICONS: Let’s talk about the FX, because there’s some pretty grotesque things that happen on camera. Wayne Toth told us a story how Rob didn’t tell you about the long shot of the guy getting his head crushed and then they showed it to you and you were like “Oh my God!”

I really freaked out! I thought it was a real guy! And I looked at Rob and said, “Oh my God! What did you do!” It was awful. It was a real guy and they had edited it together where all of a sudden you see Tyler big giant foot crush his face and I saw it and just jumped and freaked out! (It was a full body anamatronic) And the fact that you can’t tell the difference, bravo to Wayne Toth! (Laughs) Bravo. Every morning, I’d go in to say hi to Wayne and there’d always be a different dead body in the seat. You had to get used to that every morning. (Laughs) He’s an amazing make up artist and he did some stuff on me this time. The whole prosthetics on my hand at the beginning.


How do you move on from this being so emotional?

ICONS: RUNAWAYS!

I join a band! Playing Lita Ford. Yeah, I did THE RUNAWAYS with Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning. It’s the Joan Jett movie! That’s how I move on! That’s pretty amazing! (Laughs)

ICONS: I don’t know too much about that but did you interact with Lita Ford at all, since you’re playing her?

I didn’t really meet Lita, but Joan Jett was always there, during band practice, during the filming, she was always there. Always hanging out with us, it was great. And Cherie Curry was there.

Was that tough too?

There’s a lot of hard work, because we basically had to have band practice and we had to learn the instruments in a short amount of time. We performed for 8 hours straight. I felt like I was Rob for a second, it was crazy.

So you guys formed a real band.

Yeah, basically.

Which of the songs did you get really good at?

Um, “Cherry Bomb” of course! Come on! All of us had something to do. Dakota will blow your minds. She’s amazing in it and so is Kristen. But yeah, “Cherry Bomb” definitely. And “Queens Of Noise”. If somebody told me this 9 years ago that I’d be in a Rob Zombie film chased around by Michael Myers and then you’re going to join Joan Jett and be in THE RUNAWAYS & play Lita Ford, the lead guitarist, I would’ve thought you were crazy. It’s amazing to be able to play all these different characters and learn all these different things. I’m very lucky.

ICONS: Did you guys shoot multiple endings for HALLOWEEN 2?

Um, yeah, I think that’s out there, right? We filmed some different stuff. We did that on the first one too. You can always find ways to make it better. In reshoots. Or just different.

ICONS: Can you talk about your relationship with Tyler Mane? Because he’s scary to us but to you I’m sure he’s like a big teddy bear.

He’s like my dad! He is! I look up to that guy and he takes care of me which is great to have. He’s a really sweet & sincere guy.

Are you a fan of Danielle's other HALLOWEEN movies? HALLOWEEN 4 & 5?

Gosh who hasn’t seen 4 and 5? (Other journalists nod no) What? There’s a TV over there! We need to set you guys up right away! No, Danielle’s amazing. I think out of all the HALLOWEEN movies, I loved 4 & 5 because I related to Danielle. She’s amazing and still amazing. Like I said before, every scene that I had with her was just really emotional and acting off of her is so easy.


You had a lot of screaming to do on this one!

Oh gosh, I’m just good at screaming, I really am. I lost my voice on this one a lot. I just started talking like a man for a while. Which could be sexy! (Laughs)

Have you ever met Jamie Lee Curtis?

No! I still want to, I really do. I would love to have a conversation with her. Maybe in the future? There’s so many things that I would ask her. Honestly, I’d want to know what she thought of me portraying her character and what she thought of the movie. I put so much of her character into the first one that I’d just love to hear her input.


Can you talk about your acting process?

I don’t know if this is a good thing or a bad thing especially when I’m dealing with something where I’m supposed to be really sad, but I’m not one of those people that go off and think about something sad, and have to take like 5 minutes to get out of it. I’m not like that at all. I’m ready in 2 seconds. We’re rolling? Ok, we’re rolling. And then I’m done. It’s just really easy for me to get out of it, which is really good. I think I’d go crazy if it were the other way around.

Did you ever think you'd end up in a HALLOWEEN movie? Let alone 2 playing the character of Laurie Strode?

I had no idea I'd get to play her. My uncle would scare me with the Michael Myers mask when I was younger. And I was absolutely terrified of the movie and I never thought that I’d end up in a HALLOWEEN movie. Let alone play Laurie Strode. When I first heard about the audition, I just never thought it’d happen. I just thought it’d be so great. And I just kept getting closer and closer to it. And when I got it, I thought, “Oh my God. I’m going to be Laurie Strode.” It’s crazy to me. I never would’ve imagined.

Did you take home anything from the set?

(Smiles)

ICONS: You took home the cloths, didn't ya!

(Laughs) I got the cloths. And some of the paintings.

ICONS: Would you be game to play Laurie again should a HALLOWEEN 3 come your way?

I’d be so game. I would. I would love to develop her a little bit more. I could see a lot that I would do with her, so yeah. I’d be real excited to do it again.


Danielle Harris & Brea Grant: (Major Spoiler About Annie Brackett through-out)

ICONS: So Danielle, HALLOWEEN II. This is your 4th HALLOWEEN film!

Danielle Harris: 4th and final! (Laughs)

ICONS: Hey! Ya never know!

Danielle Harris: Right, ya never know. I’ll come back as someone else. I’ll come back as Jamie Lloyd’s mother. Well wait, that would be Laurie. I'll come back as someone else when we do HALLOWEEN 4.


ICONS: The point being that the only other person to make 4 HALLOWEEN movies is Jamie Lee Curtis. So you’re tied with her. How does it feel to be the only other person so attached with this series?

Danielle Harris: I would love to meet her one day! My boyfriend just did a movie with her the other day and I said I’d love to meet her and he’s like “Oh, I worked with her today & she’s great!” I was like you worked with her today?! Do you tell her that your girlfriend is me? And he’s like “I didn’t even think about it.” (Laughs) Thanks! I appreciate it. Maybe he could’ve set up a coffee date or something for me? I think it’s a really cool “title” I guess for lack of a better word. It’s weird. I still can’t believe I’m talking about this 25 years later! It’s good that I came back as somebody else and it was acceptable and that people dug it. And I didn’t get a lot of slack for it.

ICONS: I was really bummed they killed you off this time.

Danielle Harris: I think people are like “you’re going to live! You’re going to live!” I don’t think they’re expecting me to actually finally be dead. I’m hoping there’s going to be a little mourning! You’ll never see her in another HALLOWEEN again! I don’t know if it’s in the movie, because Rob had asked me for some Super 8 footage of me as a little girl. I don’t know, is there any footage of me as a little girl?

ICONS: I don’t think so. No.

Danielle Harris: OK, well he had asked me this to pull some stuff. I was like I don’t have Super 8 stuff but I have some VHS stuff, so my mom dug thru their crap and sent me like 10 tapes and I put them all on DVD and sent them to him. And he was going to put it in, again I haven’t seen the movie, so I guess when Brad finds me, there’s a moment where he looks up for a second while he’s taking it all in, and Rob wanted to have a clip of me as a little girl, and it might be in the director’s cut, because he thought there would not be a dry eye in the house if he put that in there. That’s such an emotional thing, he wanted to have that. You rarely feel anything when anyone dies in these movies. It’s like “That was a cool death”. You don’t really get invested in these character but I think because people have grown up with me, that it’s sort of like – as you know I had a stalker incident years ago – and people are still like “Is everything OK?” Like these guys that I’ve never met before until a conventions are like, “Is everything alright? Because I’ll kick his ass!” (Laughs) It’s like the big brother syndrome. Because they know you as a little girl and you’ve been in their house for so long over the years and they don’t want to see anything happen to you. They’ll do whatever they can to protect you, and now I’m going into this movie and knowing that he finally got me. I’m curious to see what people think.

ICONS: Well, it’s long and drawn out.

Danielle Harris: Is it long and drawn out?

ICONS: Well, the hardest part is you’re alive in Laurie’s arms for like 5 minutes when she finds you!

Danielle Harris: I love that though! Because you’re like ‘please live, please live, please live’ and you think she might. I’m done. Which is different. That scene, we made up as we went along. All I was supposed to say was “He’s in the house.” That was the only thing, that’s it. Then you’d see my head hanging out of the bathtub, and I thought we can’t go out like that. I knew I’d get shit for it. People were going to say I can’t believe that that’s how you went out. So I thought, let me out of the bathtub and let’s do it on the bathroom floor. And then with Scout, Scout and I are close. I am like her older sister. We have that relationship and someone asked me earlier how I feel about carrying the torch in these movies & the other ones. I’ve passed the torch to her. She’s got it now. So it’s nice to have that. Again it goes back to that there’s not much emotional that gets drawn out within you as an audience member, as a fan in a lot of these movies. You’re not very invested for very long. And usually the girls are dumb bitches. Most of the time! Rob sort of flips it a little bit. But these girls you really do care about because they’re smart, they’re sassy, they’re friends, they’ve got their shit together. The guys are always the dorks in his movies. It’s kind of cool to be part of that.


ICONS: For Brea, this isn’t your first genre movie, you also did MIDNIGHT MOVIE.

Brea Grant: I did a couple of low budget horror movies that no one wanted to see. Thank God!

ICONS: I’ve seen a few!

Brea Grant: Have you? What'd ya think?

ICONS: I like 'em! What was it like for you stepping into HALLOWEEN 2, were you a fan of these films?

Brea Grant: It was really exciting. I was.

ICONS: Were you really a fan?

Brea Grant: Yes! I was! I grew up watching them. I’m a horror fan and I grew up watching these movies. Honestly, FRIDAY THE 13TH was more of my scary movie that I remember forever (as a kid), and I’m still scared of Freddy Krueger BUT, HALLOWEEN - definitely watched it as a kid. Yeah, it was exciting. It’s scary to go into this film, because it already has a huge following. You don’t want to walk in and screw everything up for everybody. I’m really excited to be scaring a whole new generation of fans.


ICONS: For Danielle and Rob and everyone involved, this was their second feature together, they already had friendships, did they welcome you to the fold with open arms?

Brea Grant: They were like so cliquish, it’s unbelievable! (Laughs) Kidding! They were really nice, and everybody was really cool. And Rob is really cool. He - You don’t walk on the set & figure out what you’re doing. In rehearsals, we hung out and got to know each other.

Danielle Harris: He like hangs out with you while they’re setting up which I’ve never had any other director ever do. I remember the first day on set, Scout and I were sitting together and we had just blocked a scene and he came over and sat across from us and just started talking to us about My Space or Facebook or something like that. I thought I can’t believe we’re sitting here and talking and just sort of gossiping! (Laughs) This is the weirdest thing. He wants to just talk and hang out. He knows what he wants, he comes in, he tweaks stuff, he does stuff and then you’re ready to roll.


What’s he like as a director?

Brea Grant: On this movie essentially, we'd show up and these are the scenes we’re supposed to be doing. You go in and you think you’re doing these scenes and then you walk in and he gives you pages and they’re different scenes. And that’s what you’re actually doing today because he rewrote them all last night at 4 in the morning! And so, it’s a different style of shooting but it was really fun. You get to hang out. You kind of get to play and he puts things you said earlier that day in there.

Danielle Harris: And then he screws with you too. In the last HALLOWEEN, I put on my cheerleading jacket & you guys probably never saw this, but on the back of it, it says munchkin in big letters. (Laughs) And then he had my boyfriend calling me “munchy”. He told him to do it while we were having out little sex scene. So I was like ‘seriously, Rob? People are going to be calling me munchy forever now!’ And this time around, it’s not in the movie, Sheri asks young Michael Myers “Why didn’t you kill her last time?” And he says, “Because she’s just so small.” And I get these pages thinking ‘Oh Rob! Seriously?’ What in the hell! People are going to give me such crap! Then I was supposed to have a boyfriend in HALLOWEEN 2, and this great actor flies out for the shoot and I’m looking at all these pages and I go to Rob, ‘I just don’t think, now that we’ve created these characters through out the process of shooting, Annie’s not ready to have a boyfriend yet. She stays in the house, she doesn’t put on make-up. I just wouldn’t have a man 2 years later after what happened to my last boyfriend. I just don’t buy it.’ So he said, ‘Alright. I’ll send him back.’ And I was like ‘No, this guy’s here’ and I hate to be the one to make that decision! Like this actor flies all the way out to Georgia to shoot, probably already telling all his friends that he’s doing HALLOWEEN 2 and then he gets axed the moment he gets there? So, Rob asked me ‘What do you want him to be?’ And I thought, maybe some guy that my Dad sends to keep me company but he’s this big dork. Like something like that. So we started riffing on that and we shot like 7 or 8 scenes with this guy. It’s all cut out of the movie because it just didn’t work. But he’s a comic book geek that keeps trying to get me to go to a horror movie convention. And all I’m doing is going ‘yeah, dude, I’m not into it. Horror conventions are cool for you, but not for me.’ So Rob’s kind of mocking me a little bit at the same time. Because the fans will come to see me at a lot of the conventions and be like ‘Hey! So you think I’m a dork? What’s up with that?’ So Rob has that fine line of finding the humor in things and puts little subliminal messages in there.

Brea Grant: Yeah, I don’t know if you can even see it, but during the whole movie I have a vegan tattoo on my arm, and I am vegan so I think it was a knock at me. (Laughs)


Since you did the original HALLOWEEN series and now you’re doing this one, how is Michael Myers different?

Danielle Harris: He’s twice the size! (Laughs) He’s bigger, the knife is bigger. Everything is just bigger and badder! Times have changed. It’s been a long time, it’s been 20 years. So it’s just – it’s funny after I did the other one, I was having a really tough time as an actress shaking it off. They shot for 4 or 5 days with the love scene through to my death. It was a lot of little pieces, and I was getting in my car a few days later and I was still feeling this weird feeling. As an actor, you’re done, you think that was my job and now I can separate from reality and working. And I just couldn’t do it. I wondered what the hell was wrong with me? Plus, it’s HALLOWEEN too. I realized that was the first time I’d ever been touched by Michael. Michael Myers never touched me as Jamie. He never got me, ever. So no wonder it was so much harder for me & I’ve never been attacked before. So it’s weird. In the script there was no scene between Michael Myers and Annie. I thought if I’m going to go out, I gotta go in a scene with Michael, & he’s got to get me at some point. I can’t not have a scene with Tyler the entire movie, that’s just nuts. It’s bad enough I don’t have a scene with Malcolm either! I spend so much time with Loomis in the other ones. So, at least Rob agreed and said, absolutely we have to put that in there. We wrote that on the fly.

And you’re still playing a teen in these movies, that’s so awesome.

Danielle Harris: (Laughs) You can thank my mother! Good genes! It’s weird, I can’t believe I’m here in this interview talking about it 20 years later, I can’t believe I’m playing 19 when I’m 32 years old. And with Scout & I, people think we’re similar and I’m 12 years older then her. Brea and I are closer in age.


Sheri Moon Zombie:

ICONS: Were you surprised when Rob told you you'd be returning for HALLOWEEN 2?

Yes! Well, I read the script, one of the first incarnations that he was writing, and I though how’s this going to work? I know I’m going to get cut out! I don’t see how this is going to work. It seemed so separate. And even when we were filming, I really felt like wow, I don’t have the vision that he has. He knew how he was going to make it all come together so, yeah, I think it worked.

Why was it important to have Michael’s mom back?

Well, if you asked me that before Rob wrote the script, I’d say, egh, not really. (Laughs) But it’s Rob’s writing, he wrote the story. You get more into Michael’s mind by seeing Deborah through his eyes. It’s really twisted, because he’s essentially mentally stunted at the age of 10 or 11, and it just gives more insight into the workings of Michael Myers.


Did you have influence on how Deborah appears in this movie?

Not when he’s writing, but when we’re rehearsing or I’m on set, we discuss things, as he does with any other actor.

What are the merits of horror films?

Somebody just said to me the other day that women are the number one horror fans, and I was kind of shocked by that. When I sit and watch a horror movie, I’m always blocking my eyes. It’s not the first type of film that I’d go see. Um, I like old horror movies that are character driven. I’m not into the slasher stuff. I loved and to this day I still can’t watch AMITYVILLE HORROR by myself or THE SHINING by myself. I loved INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. And FRANKENSTEIN. And DRACULA and KING KONG. I like those types of horror movies.

Do you and Rob watch horror movies on the couch?

We watch all types of movies at home and if we’re watching a few comedies in a row, and we’re just watching light hearted movies, a few days will go by, which is what we like to watch because our days get so stressful sometimes, that we just want to read and laugh at the end of the day. But we watch all different types. We don’t fight about what we’re going to watch. (Laughs) Unless he’s watching boxing, I’ll go do something else. I’m not a big fan of boxing.

ICONS: You shot a few sequence with Daeg Faerch before Chase Wright Vanek came on board. Can you talk about working with Chase as the new young Michael Myers?

We actually shot one scene, which was a film test with Daeg one day in Georgia, we were trying to cheat the furniture to make him look smaller and it just wasn’t working. He’s going to be a big boy, just like Michael Myers! Um, but yes, Daeg is a very mature kid and understood and took it like a man. And working with Chase, we found Chase and he just had that angelic face, just like Daeg had and I think he worked out great. We bonded and had a great time.


How do you deal with horror stuff around children?

We shot some scenes in the strip club in Georgia, and it was a skanky, skanky real strip club in Georgia, they went and cleaned it out the night before and I heard all these horrific thing they found on the floor. When we were filming a scene there, there was a naked girl in the scene, so under Chase’s clown mask, they put tape over the eyes, so he couldn’t take a peek. He’ll see the scene at the premiere! (Laughs) He was not allowed to see the naked woman. But Chase was really into it. He was like, ‘Can I smash somebody’s head?’ Daeg was the same way in the first one. He was so excited to grab a baseball bat. Little boys, ya know?

ICONS: I know by shooting the first one in Pasadena, people were always crashing the set. How was shooting in Georgia different?

Well believe it or not, down in Georgia, when we were filming scenes in town squares and doing outdoor locations, and even in the fields, people that lived in the farms would come out, and they would put up a little barricade and just watch. They’d get all excited when they saw Tyler or somebody walk by. It was fun. We didn’t have the big crowds like we did in Pasadena, but it’s cool to have people come out to see it. I would find it tremendously interesting if I weren’t in it. On my day off I don’t want anything to do with on the set!

This feels more like a Rob Zombie film. Did he have more control on this one as opposed to the first film?

Well, I think he had some limitations with the first one because he was playing off of John Carpenter’s original. Rob loved shooting the first third of the first movie. He felt that was his own and he got to establish a lot of the characters and for this one he feels it’s his own, because he didn’t have any limitations or anything. I think he’s happier with it. He does feel that it’s more of his own.


How’d you like wearing the white dress?

Ya know, I loved the white dress for the first 2 weeks. And then, I was like ugh, getting sick of it. And then I got to wear the black dress and I was thrilled to wear that and yeah. I have one of them. It was a beautiful dress.

You do a lot of movies with Rob, what else are you working on?

Well, right now I’m taking a break but generally I have a clothing business called TOTAL SKULL and you can go to totalskull.com and buy toys for girls and guys. Rock n’ roll stuff. And I voiced one of the characters Suzi X for Rob’s THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EL SUPERBEASTO, which comes out September 22nd. It’s a sexy, raunchy Rated R animated movie. That was a lot of fun so I can’t wait to see that.

How’d you meet Rob?

We met through a mutual friend over a decade ago. A long time ago.

ICONS: I was wondering if you could elaborate on this one cool sequence in the new movie. It’s one of the dream sequences where it’s the last supper and you see all these Halloween-esque characters at the table that are all in Michael’s head. Can you talk about filming that?

That was very elaborate and it was the last day of shooting. Rob had this idea for this dream sequence and once again, it seemed like something that was so separate from the movie that I thought ‘How is that going to work?’ And so, part of my world, Deborah’s world – and um, I think for him that was really important to show because it helps you to understand Michael Myers more. For fans of Michael Myers, if you want to understand his brain and how he’s working and you love the character, then you get that from those types of scenes.

ICONS: It seems like a warped version of how Michael sees Halloween because they’re all Halloween-esque characters.

Yeah. The weird pumpkinhead’s that are totally freaky looking and his sister laying out on the table, it works.


Have you watched the original HALLOWEEN’s to prepare for these?

I’ve seen the first one, John Carpenter’s. I would watch it on Halloween every few years. John Carpenter’s a great guy. I mean, it’s such a different pace to Rob’s. It’s such a slow moving movie. Which is great, that’s why people loved it, it is what it is. It’s just different from Rob’s. There’s nothing wrong with that. Now, so what are we up to? 15 Halloween movies?

Would Rob come back for HALLOWEEN 3?

Is he saying no to PART 3? Yes, but to you guys that probably means nothing! (Laughs) Yeah, I think he now has a sense of finality with it. He didn’t want somebody to take his vision from the first one and ruin it and wash it down and have it go straight to video. He wanted to have a sense of completion with it. He says he has that now.

TYRANNASAURUS REX might be next for Rob. Do you know what your part would be in T-REX?

Um, no. It’s up in the air. Honestly, I haven’t read the script in such a long time, I’d have to refresh myself. Hopefully it’ll get made next.


Be sure to check out our other HALLOWEEN 2 INTERVIEWS! (Click each image below to read them!)








Rob Zombie returns to write and direct HALLOWEEN 2, which stars Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, Brad Dourif, Sherri Moon Zombie, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, Caroline Williams, Margot Kidder, Daniel Roebuck, Chase Wright Vanek, Dayton Callie, Richard Brake, Matt Bush, Howard Hesseman, Bill Fagerbakke, Jeff Daniel Phillips & Mark Christopher Lawrence. HALLOWEEN II is in theaters now!

Posted by RobG at 09:15 PM | Permalink Digg This

Earlier this week, ICONS OF FRIGHT was invited to join in on a series of roundtable interviews for HALLOWEEN 2. (Now playing in theaters!) We've decided to pair up the interviews in batches and offer them to you in their entirety. ('Tis the ICONS way!) Beware of major spoilers! We've done our best to mark them before you get to them, that way you can come back after you've seen the movie. Keep in mind that several journalists are asking questions here, so ICONS is credited when it's us asking. First up? How 'bout Michael Myers and Dr. Loomis? Enjoy!

Tyler Mane:

Did you need any help lifting the car?

Um, I practiced on weekends. It was a lot of fun! No, I had a little assistance… but it looks pretty cool doesn’t it?

Was it a crane underneath that was removed?

Well… I’m not going to tell you how we did it! Movie magic.


ICONS: Can you talk about the character of Michael Myers in this one? You probably had an inkling you were going to come back and do another one....

I was signed to another one.

ICONS: But what’s cool is you’re more of a character then Michael’s ever been in any of the other movies. I love the half mask. It’s great to be able to have you wear the mask and yet see your face at the same time. How’d you approach this version of Michael Myers?

I knew it was going to be different, because the first one followed the HALLOWEEN story and I knew Rob was going to have a little bit more free reign with this one and I was excited to see what he’d come up with. And it turned out really well.


ICONS: Did he give you a heads up to start growing the beard in advance?

Um, I might’ve gotten a call. (Laughs)

How grueling is it making this kind of movie?

It’s very physically exhausting. I mean, at the end of the day if you have to kill somebody 10 times, especially the way we do it in this movie. Like in the nurses scene. I stick her a few times. And then the last stick, I just looked up and said, ‘Rob, I’m done!’ (Laughs) And he said, ‘I like it! It’s good!’ But yeah, it’s very physically demanding and intense. At the end of the day I had to unwind with a cigar and a glass of wine.


Does the mask start to stink after you sweat in it for a while?

No, it was taken care of very well. I was very appreciative of that extra opening though! It let air move in a little better then the last version.

Are you a horror film fan at all? And how did this change your look on them?

I was not really into horror films all that much, because when JAWS came out, I was a really young kid and after seeing that, I didn’t want to go in the bathtub let alone the beach! So, I gradually have come to appreciate them since taking on the role of Michael Myers.

What appeals to you in horror?

What I like to see and it’s sad to say, but I like to see the dirty kills. The very realistic kills, because in a lot of horror movies you go ‘no way that would ever happen’. And the one thing I said if I was going to be doing this is that I wanted the kills to be more realistic and dirty. If you see any of those shows on death, there’s a definite aftermath. We’re making movies here and it’s all pretend but it does happen in the real world. If you see those shows, there’s a definite aftermath that is left behind and that is what is shown in this HALLOWEEN. Like a crime scene.


More realistic the scarier.

This HALLOWEEN is definitely not your typical cookie-cutter horror film. I call it more of a Greek tragedy because everyone is a tragedy and no one comes away unscathed one way or another. Everybody’s lives has changed. By the end of it – I felt like I was run out. This was the first movie that I’d ever done where at the end of it, I said I’ve got to see it again. It’s just that intense.

What’d you think of the white horse motif? (In the film, Deborah Myers appears to Michael with a white horse. Young Michael Myers speaks to her.)

I saw the white horse in person! That’s a big ass horse! (Laughs) It is a symbol to him of the white horse given to him by his mother. I mean, that is what Michael Myers draws to. When he gets out of the crash, he thinks he sees his mother and the little white horse. You’ve probably had toys as a kid that mean something to you, like a toy car or a little motorcycle or something. And that’s exactly what’s going on with Michael Myers.


Favorite kill in HALLOWEEN 2?

It’s hard to say. The rednecks got it pretty good. The nurse got it real good. Danielle put up a hell of a fight. So it’s hard to say. Each one has their own separate little thing to it.

ICONS: How collaborative are orchestrating the kills between you, Wayne Toth and Rob Zombie? Do you guys talk about it & try to put a little more into each one?

Yeah, when you’re filming something like that you have to take a look at it and see – sometimes you have to change the angle or the movement, because sometimes a realistic movement doesn’t play as well as a little tweak here or there. (For the camera) So it’s very collaborative. And you do it, you see playback and for me, I look at it and go ‘what if I do this? Would you get what you’re looking for?’ And we give it a shot. So it’s very collaborative.

Have you ever met Derek Mears who recreated Jason Voorhees?

Derek Mears and I are buddies. And we live about a block and a half away from each other. He’s a great guy.

Fan reaction to your Michael Myers?

Overall, it’s been really great. People were a little skeptical at first with the first movie, but since they saw it and seeing how I played Michael Myers, they’ve been very receptive.


How’d you feel when Rob first called you about playing Michael Myers?

To tell you the truth, I was up in Canada getting ready to talk to producers and the phone rang and it was Rob and he says, “Hey, I want you to play Michael Myers” in HALLOWEEN and I said, “Rob… I don’t want to be the guy with the hockey mask.” (Laughs) “Dude… wrong mask!” So that shows you what I knew about it. I’d seen the original HALLOWEEN when I was younger, but I’ve enjoy doing it now.

ICONS: Did you go back and watch the previous films to see how other people portrayed Michael Myers?

Oh yeah. I’ve seen all of them except for 3 where Michael doesn’t appear. I’m definitely the tallest Michael. Well, all the other Michael Myers' were very one dimensional characters. I wanted to give Michael Myers the depth that he deserved and that came from all my research because if you look at any serial killer, they could walk out into the street and no one would think they’d be capable of doing what they’d done. I wanted to bring that to it. So to bring the physicality to this movie and different moods to it, gives it a whole lot more.

I noticed a lot of audible grunts in the new movie. Don't remember that in the first, but was that something you added?

It was there (in the first HALLOWEEN), we did the ADR for the 1st one, but the ones we did on the day, like when I stabbed the nurse it was pretty intense. That’s what Rob & I brought to it. You would be doing something like that if you were stabbing someone like that.


ICONS: I think besides George Wilbur, you’re the first actor to play him more then once. Would you do it again should the opportunity come?

(Pause)

ICONS: How 'bout this... Are you obligated to play him again?

No, I signed on for 2. I did the 2. But it’s hard to say. I’d have to see who’s doing it. And just see which way we wanted to take it. It’s kind of going to be hard to carry on from this one, and … if Michael Myers is going into space, well, I ain’t going! (Laughs)

ICONS: Did you guys shoot multiple endings? I thought I saw a little something on set that was different then what's in the movie.

Well there were parts from what you saw used. When you shoot something, you’re always shooting different things and you have to add to it and work out the way you wanted it to originally come out.

(SPOILER ALERT)

ICONS: I'm not one of those fans that cries blasphemy at the idea of your Michael talking. I know you said the word "Boo" in the first one. And I'm pretty sure I heard you say something on set for this one. So did you film stuff of Michael talking?

Well, hey, you have to realize you’re doing several takes. And it was probably Malcolm screwing with me, and I just screamed out “die”! “Die already!” I think he wanted a Shakespearean death and we were like no he’s just going to die!

(END SPOILER)

What’s next for you?

I’m starting up Mane Entertainment and my first project is sort of along these same lines, it’s a horror/thriller called PENANCE LANE. And hopefully we’ll be filming that this winter. I’m producing it and going to be in it. I play a con that gets out of prison, and he goes around on a mission to this house and people turn out to be different then they appear – it’s got a lot of twists and turns.

What's your favorite horror movie of the last 3 years or so?

Last few years? HALLOWEEN and HALLOWEEN II. Wait – can’t be those? THE SHINING is my favorite. Although that’s not recent. But it is classic!


Malcolm McDowell:

What's the attraction to horror for most people?

I think people just love to be scared but know that they’re safe really. They love the thrill to be frightened. Personally I find them incredibly boring but that’s just me. As an individual. I’m not a great fan of horror films, but people love ‘em. They’re big genre movies. These horror conventions are just jammed with people that love ‘em. Rob’s a good director so that helps. It’s nice if you get a good director to do it. I haven’t seen this one and apparently it’s a bit different.


Were you able to be collaborative about Loomis this time out?

Yes, I wanted to bring a bit of comedy to it. I got bored playing the other Loomis, we just completely changed the character arbitrarily. I just got bored.

How's Loomis different this time? He's kind of a jerk this time.

It was dictated not by his success but more by his near death experience. I thought if somebody is that close to death from this big, raging, bulky guy and um – I mean then I think you’d be pissed off. So I decided to play it that way, which was fun. I had this wonderful actress Mary Birdsong who played my publicist & she was great. We were able to sort of improvise it. Which was great. I don’t know if a lot of it made it into the film, but we had a lot of fun making it.


Have you seen the first HALLOWEEN you did a lot? Do you watch your movies?

Yeah, I watched the first one once. I saw it at the premiere, I’ll probably never see it again. I don’t watch any of my films more then once. If there’s a premiere, if there’s not I never see them at all. I would say there’s a good 20 films I’ve made that I’ve never seen.

Like?

I don’t know! I’ll meet someone in the cast and they’ll say ‘we were in blah blah blah together’ and I don’t even remember being in that movie? I do too many movies. The good ones I remember.

Have you seen CLOCKWORK ORANGE more then once?

Oh yeah, I remember that one! (Laughs) Of course I’ve seen that one more then once, it’s a classic. But I have to go back every 10 years to see it again because there’s always some big thing going on so I’m invited to sit there, because it’s rude if I tip toe out. People will go ‘he’s leaving!’ So I sit there and watch it. It’s coming up again, I’ve got to sit through the damn thing again. The 40th anniversary is coming up.


Does it take on new meaning over the years?

Well, it takes on new meaning for the new audiences that find it. The kids, they love that film. It is a remarkable film. I got very lucky with that, so um, it’s a great film and as you say, it holds up. Of course it is about a timeless subject. Which is great, the brilliance of Burgess, plus Kubrick – it’s a great film really, the essence. Last time I saw it was around 5 years ago at the Egyptian theater. Now I got this email asking if I’d go back to the Egyptian since they’re going to screen it again. I don’t know why they’re going to when they showed it 5 years ago! But anyway, I’ll probably go back, because it’s nice – films like that, or the Lindsay Anderson films are so great. It’s nice to see them occasionally although I wouldn’t want to – I mean, my kids, they’ve never seen them. They’ve seen CLOCKWORK ORANGE. My older kids. My daughter called me when she went to college, she goes, “Dad! Um, I’ve been into a few dorms of my friends and … there’s posters of you up on them!” She had no idea. She had never seen the film.

How old were they when they saw A CLOCKWORK ORANGE?

My daughter was in college so she was 18. My son saw it when he was 20. So I think the boys can kind of take it. Maybe. I don’t know. I kept saying, ‘No, you’re far too young. You can’t see that one.’

What’s scary to you?

Well, it’s horror but it’s horror of the mind. Psychological horror. It’s much more affective in a way. Psychological stuff – when you get into a character that can be very disquieting. Yeah, that was… of course, the whole thing has changed. The meaning of the movie (CLOCKWORK ORANGE) has changed so much over the years. When it first opened, it was a big scandal. This really violet film, it’s not really violet today. People just couldn’t get past the violence at all when it opened. I mean, people were running out of the theater and throwing up in the lobby. Rob – he’s certainly a great talent and very interesting, and I think he tried to do something different with this film. Well, what do you want to see? The same old boring HALLOWEEN again and again? So, just put it on repeat and sit there watching the same damn movie.

Considering the ending of Rob's first HALLOWEEN, did you think you could come back?

Of course! (Laughs) I’ll be back for the 3rd one! Even though I know I lost my head! Who cares? It’s not real.


ICONS: This was your 2nd feature length with Rob, so how’d this differ from the first time out? Was it easier considering you've developed a friendship and rapport since the first?

Well, yeah – Absolutely. Rob and I are good friends. He was a little more harassed by the studio people this time. They were cutting days and pretty much driving him nuts. I felt bad for him because he was under a lot of pressure. But he stuck to his guns and did what he wanted. I think so, because they were coming down on budget and going crazy and blah blah blah. That’s the film business.

ICONS: Can you talk about shooting in Georgia? It was some cold nights out there!

Yeah! There were cold nights in good old Georgia. I quite enjoyed it, I thought that Georgia was quite a nice state. I hadn’t really been anywhere outside of Atlanta. And to actually get into the countryside and the small towns, east of Atlanta. I thought they were very beautiful and terrific and good golf courses, of course. That’s what’s important to me. The food? Heart attack waiting to happen. Couldn’t live there, but no, I mean once in a while it was great. I think Georgia is a beautiful state, I really do. And the people were very nice, I had a great time. A lot of fun.

Do you consider yourself American or an Englishman?

I don’t consider myself an American or an Englishman to be honest. I consider myself a Californian. (Laughs) I feel more of a Californian then I do an American and an Englishman. California is of course a huge state. My kids are American because they were born here.

ICONS: Can you talk about the Weird Al scene in HALLOWEEN 2? It's one of the highlights of the whole film.

He is great! I don’t know how it happened, he came down. I’d never really heard about him. Weird Al, I didn’t know who he was, but I loved working with him. The whole thing where I’m getting pissed off was so perfect. It was all improvised. Like when I called him “Mr. Weird”. I thought, well his name is Weird Al, so I guess I’ll call him Mister Weird. I don’t know! He goes “zapped!” He does something weird, and I said, ‘how the hell do you think you are?’ It was just great. Of course, they paired down the scene we had together but it was great fun working with him. He’s a terrific guy. We had so much fun doing that. It was shot in half a day, the whole thing.



Be sure to check out our other HALLOWEEN 2 INTERVIEWS! (Click each image below to read them!)








Rob Zombie returns to write and direct HALLOWEEN 2, which stars Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, Brad Dourif, Sherri Moon Zombie, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, Caroline Williams, Margot Kidder, Daniel Roebuck, Chase Wright Vanek, Dayton Callie, Richard Brake, Matt Bush, Howard Hesseman, Bill Fagerbakke, Jeff Daniel Phillips & Mark Christopher Lawrence. HALLOWEEN II is in theaters now!

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IGN debuted the brand new trailer for THE DESCENT: PART 2 which you can check out embedded below! Directed by Jon Harris (who edited the first DESCENT), the sequel to Neil Marshall's cult classic stars Shauna MacDonald (reprising her role as Sarah), Natalie Mendoza, Gavan O'Herlihy, Joshua Dallas and Anna Skellern.

THE DESCENT: PART 2 debuts later this weekend at the UK FRIGHTFEST and then in UK cinemas on December 4th. No word yet on a US release but we'll keep you posted!

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Showtime has just posted a great behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming 4th Season of DEXTER! Check it out embedded below!

See the "Under Pressure" teaser trailer HERE! See several videos from the panel at our previous news post HERE! See the trailer for DEXTER Season 4 at our news post HERE! And the trailer for DEXTER: EARLY CUTS, the animated webseries HERE.

Check out the teaser posters & bobble heads from Comic-Con HERE! See the recent teaser poster from our previous news post HERE. John Lithgow also joins recently announced cast member Courtney Ford. (Read all about Lithgow's casting at our previous news post HERE and Courtney Ford's HERE!) Season 3 hits store shelves on August 18th, while Season 4 will begins airing September 27th on Showtime. DEXTER stars Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, Julie Benz, James Remar, David Zayas, Keith Carradine, Lauren Vélez and C.S. Lee.

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I actually had to triple check this story because it just seemed so out of left field! Variety is reporting that Rob Zombie's next feature will be a remake of THE BLOB!?! Of course, THE BLOB is the 1958 classic that launched the career of actor Steve McQueen and was later remade (brilliantly I might add) in 1988 by Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont. Why remake it again?

The Variety article says, "In the original, an object from space crashes into a field, containing a red blob-like substance that absorbs the humans it contacts and grows exponentially. While Zombie was a fan of the original, his version will be much different.

`My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing, that’s the first thing I want to change,' Zombie said. `That gigantic Jello-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now. I have a totally different take, one that’s pretty dark.'"

(Hey, a kid gets eaten in the 1988 version. THAT one's scary, damn it!)

The article continues, "`I’d been looking to break out of the horror genre, and this really is a science fiction movie about a thing from outer space,' Zombie said. `I intend to make it scary, and the great thing is, I have the freedom once again to take it in any crazy direction I want to. Even more than `Halloween,' where I had to deal with accepted iconic characters like Michael Myers and Laurie Strode. `The Blob’ is more concept than specific storyline with characters, so I can go nuts with it.'"

Zombie will produce with Genre Company’s Richard Saperstein and Brian Witten, original `Blob' producer Jack H. Harris, and Judith Parker Harris of Worldwide Entertainment Corporation.

 

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We recently sat down for a roundtable interview with Rob Zombie to discuss all things HALLOWEEN 2 and among one of the topics that came up was the "unused" trailer, which features snippets of footage NOT in the final theatrical version. Considering the time restraints on the editing process, I asked Zombie if the version of HALLOWEEN 2 opening in theaters this weekend was his complete vision, or if there was a longer or alternate "director's cut" with more of the stuff from the trailers. Here's what he had to say:

"The thing is – editing is a crucial time and when you get rushed through that process, you’re never 100 percent sure that you’ve got exactly the perfect take of every actor, or the perfect moment because there’s so much footage to go through and so you do your best to do it with the time that you have."

"As far as a longer cut for the director’s cut, there is another version of the movie that’s very, very different that will probably be the director’s cut. There were 2 ways we could cut the movie. The way we cut it for the theatrical, Laurie Strode’s character is the main difference in the two. (In the theatrical) She’s holding it together, getting her life together and it starts spiraling downward. In the other version, she’s an incredible mess and gets worse. She never has any good moments, she’s just messed up, she’s lashing out at everyone, she’s horrible. Messed up on drugs, she’s just completely spun out through the whole movie. It makes for a real challenging movie to watch and I feel like I don’t know if fans would’ve embraced so much darkness."

"Everything’s the same in that version except for her. There’s other scenes with her, and mostly with Annie. Her relationship with Annie is horrible and they’re at each other’s throats through the whole movie. They are not in the theatrical version."

So we can probably look forward to a DVD with an alternate, "darker" cut. I'm not sure I myself as a fan could embrace the idea of Laurie Strode being unsympathetic, which is what the above scenario sounds like to me. While brief, I appreciated her estranged relationship with Annie in the theatrical cut of HALLOWEEN 2.

More interviews later today!


HALLOWEEN II 5th TV spot is HERE. 4th TV spot is HERE. 3rd TV spot can be viewed HERE. See the 2nd TV Spot at our previous news post HERE. See the latest trailers right HERE as well as the 1st TV Spot right HERE! Behind-the-scenes video can be found right HERE.

Click the following image for an ICONS exclusive pic of Michael Myers:



Make sure to check out the first trailer to HALLOWEEN 2 right HERE. Latest theatrical one-sheet poster right HERE! New pic of the pumpkin "dream" sequence character HERE! New pic of Sheriff Brackett right HERE! New pic of Loomis and a new poster can be seen right HERE! Don't forget to read our brand new FRIGHT exclusive interview with ROB ZOMBIE by clicking the frame below!



Rob Zombie returns to write and direct HALLOWEEN 2, which stars Scout Taylor-Compton, Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane, Brad Dourif, Sherri Moon Zombie, Danielle Harris, Brea Grant, Caroline Williams, Margot Kidder, Daniel Roebuck, Chase Wright Vanek, Dayton Callie, Richard Brake, Matt Bush, Howard Hesseman, Bill Fagerbakke, Jeff Daniel Phillips & Mark Christopher Lawrence. HALLOWEEN II is now playing!!!

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We recently sat down with both Scout Taylor-Compton and Tyler Mane for HALLOWEEN 2 roundtables (look for those later today) and chatted to both about portraying their iconic characters. Scout still gushes over getting the opportunity to play Laurie Strode:

"I had no idea I'd get to play her. My uncle would scare me with the Michael Myers mask when I was younger. And I was absolutely terrified of the movie and I never thought that I’d end up in a HALLOWEEN movie. Let alone play Laurie Strode. When I first heard about the audition, I just never thought it’d happen. I just thought it’d be so great. And I just kept getting closer and closer to it. And when I got it, I thought, 'Oh my God. I’m going to be Laurie Strode.' It’s crazy to me. I never would’ve imagined."

Would she be game to come back for HALLOWEEN 3 and give Laurie Strode one more chance?

"I’d be so game. I would. I would love to develop her a little bit more. I could see a lot that I would do with her, so yeah. I’d be real excited to do it again."

As for Tyler Mane, he's the only other actor besides George Wilbur to portray Michael Myers more then once. When asked about coming back for a HALLOWEEN 3, he paused and thought about it for a moment. Further pushing, I asked if he's "contractually obligated" to come back?

"No, I signed on for 2. I did the 2. But... it’s hard to say. (Pause) I’d have to see who’s doing it. And just see which way we wanted to take it. It’s kind of going to be hard to carry on from this one, and … if Michael Myers is going into space, well, I ain’t going! (Laughs)"

Check back later today for more HALLOWEEN 2 interviews!

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In our recent roundtable chat with Rob Zombie about HALLOWEEN II, the subject of his much teased about film TYRANNOSAURUS REX came up. And to our surprise, he was for the first time fairly open on what that movie will be about.

"It’s a boxing movie, actually," says Zombie. "Yeah, it’s about this guy named Rex. His nickname is “Tyrannosaurus Rex” and it’s about this washed up prize fighter who goes to prison for assaulting these guys in a bar because he’s kind of this born to loose out of control personality. And when he gets out of prison, he’s too old to box so he gets caught up in underground fighting because he’s so filled with rage that he can’t control himself in normal society. It’s pretty dark. That’d be a darker movie then HALLOWEEN 2. That might be my next movie."

Might being the key word. It was just announced that Zombie will next be tackling a 2nd remake of THE BLOB. (Another news post on that in a bit.)

Look for the rest of our HALLOWEEN 2 interviews later today! HALLOWEEN 2 is now playing in theaters!

Posted by RobG at 12:19 PM | Permalink Digg This

This past Tuesday, we reported that BEST BUY exclusively release the Blu-Ray edition of Paul Solet's GRACE, almost a whole month before it's official release date on September 15th. The movie itself looks beautiful in hi-definition and the Blu-Ray (as well as the upcoming DVD) are brimming with tons of great special features, but we felt obligated to let you in on a slight error with the disc. The special features are not in the appropriate order.

Granted, as a paying consumer, you can watch the bonus features any which way you please. However, ICONS own Adam Barnick was responsible for all the supplemental material on the GRACE disc. What was originally intended as a feature length long documentary was instead divided up into 5 featurettes. (6 if you include Jake Hamilton's featurette from SUNDANCE) These features are meant to be played in a certain order to maintain a "feature length" documentary feel.

So if you pick up the Blu-Ray, THIS is the order you should watch the features in. (As listed on the back of the box):

- GRACE: Conception
- GRACE: Family
- Her Mother's Eyes: The Look Of GRACE
- GRACE: Delivered
- Lullaby: Scoring GRACE
- GRACE at Sundance

Enjoy!

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SHUTTER ISLAND, Martin Scorsese's latest thriller starring Leonardo Dicaprio has been pushed from October 2nd to February 19th, 2010! Below we've got the new revised trailer reflecting the new release date. Have a peek again! This is Scorsese's first genre related pic since CAPE FEAR!

From Oscar®-winning director Martin Scorsese, “Shutter Island” is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Jackie Earle Haley & Max von Sydow. (Actually, it's being called a "drama"!)

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Overture Films has released this new "motion" poster for their upcoming movie PANDORUM, which opens in theaters September 25th, 2009! Check it out below!

Watch the Trailer for 'Pandorum'

In PANDORUM, Dennis Quaid (Vantage Point, The Express) and Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma, Alpha Dog) join Cam Gigandet (Never Back Down, Twilight), Cung Le (Tekken, Fighting), newcomer Antje Traue, and director Christian Alvart (Antibodies) to tell the terrifying story of two crew members stranded on a spacecraft who quickly – and horrifically – realize they are not alone. Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. It’s pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship. They can’t remember anything: Who are they? What is their mission? With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft’s shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.

Posted by RobG at 11:37 AM | Permalink Digg This

This Halloween, Prepare to Die…Laughing! ANCHOR BAY ENTERTAINMENT UNLEASHES STAN HELSING ON DVD AND BLU-RAY™ OCTOBER 27th! Special Edition to include Commentary, Featurettes and Deleted Scenes; Exclusive theatrical engagements planned.

Beverly Hills , CA – The most feared monsters in cinematic history have met their match! Watch out villains, here comes…Stan Helsing? From the executive producer of Scary Movie, the horror comedy Stan Helsing will be released on DVD and high definition Blu-ray™ on October 27th by Anchor Bay Entertainment. In the vein of spoof cinema like the Austin Powers and Scary Movie franchises, Stan Helsing lampoons contemporary film audiences’ never-ending fascination with what makes our blood curdle. In addition, the hilarious horrorfest will have exclusive theatrical engagements in New York , Los Angeles and other select cities the weekend of Friday, October 23rd.

The Stan Helsing DVD and Blu-ray™ will include valuable behind-the-scenes coverage no monster-hunter should be without, including a commentary track with the cast/filmmakers, featurettes and extended, alternate & deleted scenes – all guaranteed to make you howl with laughter! SRP is a side-splitting $26.97 for the DVD , with $34.98 SRP for the Blu-ray™.

Written and directed by Bo Zenga, Stan Helsing follows the misadventures of hapless video store clerk Stan Helsing (Steve Howey) and his friends. During what should be a routine video delivery on Halloween night before going to a Halloween party, Stan and company find themselves stranded in the mysterious residential development of Stormy Night Estates. There, Stan learns of his true destiny as a descendant of the legendary monster-hunter Van Helsing.

With his motley band in tow – including his best friend Teddy (“Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson), he will battle evil in the form of parodies of movie monster icons “Freddy,” “Jason,” “Leatherface,” “Pinhead,” “Michael Myers,” and “Chucky.” The ultimate confrontation between good and evil will require immeasurable courage, grim determination – and a flair for karaoke?

In addition to riotously sending up some of the cinema’s greatest scream meisters, Stan Helsing also features the appearance of comedy film legend Leslie Nielsen (Airplane!, the Naked Gun films, Scary Movie 3 and 4) as well as a surprise cameo that will frighten the Republican Party!

Stan Helsing was produced by Scott Steindorff, Bo Zenga and Kirk Shaw. Director of photography is Robert New (Prom Night), production designer is Chris August (I, Robot) and music is by Ryan Shore (Cabin Fever 2).

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GODKILLER SCI-FI/HORROR DVD TO INCLUDE NEW PREQUEL NOVEL - Original speculative-fiction novel provides unique bonus content for graphic novel adaptation starring Lance Henriksen, Danielle Harris, Bill Moseley -

Los Angeles, CA, August 26, 2009 - Halo-8 Entertainment has announced the bi-monthly, episodic DVDs for its GODKILLER: WALK AMONG US 'illustrated film' series will come packaged with a serialized audiobook of the prequel novel GODKILLER: SILENT WAR, written by the film's award-winning writer/director Matt Pizzolo. GODKILLER: WALK AMONG US Episode 1, starring Danielle Harris (upcoming "HALLOWEEN 2"), Lance Henriksen ("AVP: ALIEN VS PREDATOR"), Justin Pierre (singer of MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK), Tiffany Shepis ("NIGHT OF THE DEMONS"), Bill Moseley ("THE DEVIL'S REJECTS"), Nicki Clyne ("BATTLESTAR GALACTICA"), Katie Nisa ("THREAT"), Lydia Lunch ("HARDCORE"), and Davey Havok (singer of A.F.I.), comes to DVD on September 29th, 2009.

"GODKILLER is split into two periods... there's the post nuke world of the graphic novel & illustrated film WALK AMONG US, and there's the pre-nuke world of SILENT WAR," Pizzolo explains. "So SILENT WAR is only a prequel insofar as it happens beforehand, but its events drive the WALK AMONG US story and many of the same characters appear in both. I'm super excited that the two stories can roll out together in this integrated way--everything about this project is unorthodox and crazy, hopefully everyone will enjoy the ride." GODKILLER: SILENT WAR is the story of the end of civilization as we know it. In the near future, 17 year old Joe Junior and his girlfriend Bee run a speakeasy in the basement of an abandoned NYC church where they serve narcotic drinks to underagers while providing sanctuary and black-market employment to draft dodgers. When Joe is recruited by an armed cult of populist assassins, he is thrust into a secret world of international cabals, alien conspiracies, and the countdown to Armageddon. About the GODKILLER: WALK AMONG US DVD series: GODKILLER's innovative release schedule that brings the episodic nature of comic books to DVD will roll out as follows: Sept 29th 2009: EPISODE 1 limited edition, shortform DVD November 24th 2009: EPISODE 2 limited edition, shortform DVD January 26th 2010: Day & Date - THEATRICAL PREMIERE of full feature, EPISODE 3 limited edition, shortform DVD March 30th 2010: FULL FEATURE DVD & BLU-RAY  Check out the trailer at our previous news post HERE!

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Yahoo has debuted a behind the scenes video from the set of JENNIFER'S BODY. Check it out below!

Check out the "PSA announcement" with Megan Fox at our previous news post HERE. The theatrical one-sheet poster is at our previous news post HERE! Watch the "red-band" trailer for JENNIFER'S BODY at our previous news post HERE and the "green-band" one HERE! The flick stars Megan Fox as the title character, Amanda Seyfried, Adam Brody, J.K. Simmons, Kyle Gallner & Lance Henriksen. JENNIFER'S BODY was directed by Karyn Kusama from a script by Diablo Cody (writer of JUNO).

Synopsis: When a gorgeous cheerleader is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a small Minnesota farming town, her "plain Jane" best friend must kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshipping rock band responsible for the horrible transformation.

Posted by RobG at 08:28 AM | Permalink Digg This | Comments (1)

First things first - the release date for ZOMBIELAND has been moved up to October 2nd! Second, below you'll find a new international trailer for the flick. Check it out!

Check out the red band trailer HERE. And the original trailer and some pics at our previous news post HERE.


Directed by Ruben Fleischer from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, ZOMBIELAND stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone & Abigail Breslin.

Synopsis: Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) doesn’t have fears. If he did, he’d kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved survivors. But now, they’re about to stare down the most terrifying prospect of all: each other.

Posted by RobG at 08:20 AM | Permalink Digg This

NYmag.com just posted the official theatrical one-sheet poster for Ti West's latest flick THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. Coming from Vulture and Magnet (the genre division of Magnolia Pictures), THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL starts airing on VOD (video on demand) on October 1st with a theatrical release on October 30th. Check out the trailer and press release at our previous news post HERE. New poster is below!



Set in the mid-80's, the latest from filmmaker Ti West (THE ROOST, CABIN FEVER 2) stars Tom Noonan (THE MONSTER SQUAD, MANHUNTER), Mary Woronov (CHOPPING MALL, NIGHT OF THE COMET, AJ Bowen (THE SIGNAL), Dee Wallace (Rob Zombie's HALLOWEEN, THE HOWLING), Jocelin Donahue (THE BURROWERS) & Greta Gerwig (BAGHEAD).

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Both the DVD & Blu-Ray for NIGHT OF THE CREEPS will now be hitting store shelves on October 27th. (One week later then the originally announced October 20th release date) Below is a promo sheet which features the covers for both the Blu-Ray and DVD. And under that you'll find the full listing of features!



Special features for this release include:

• Audio Commentary with Members of the Cast
• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Fred Dekker
• Deleted Scenes
• Alternate Ending – Theatrical Version
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Trivia Track
• 6 Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes:
  • Birth of the Creeps - Writer/Director Fred Dekker discusses his influences and early filmmaking experiences and how NIGHT OF THE CREEPS evolved into his debut feature film.
  • Cast of the Creeps - Actors Jason Lively, Tom Atkins, Steve Marshall, and Actress Jill Whitlow talk about their experiences on the film, and how they have dealt with the film's enduring cult success over the past 25 years.
  • Creating the Creeps - Make-Up FX Creators David B. Miller, Robert Kurtzman and others discuss the extensive make-up creations in the film, and how they brought the slithering sluglike "creeps" to life.
  • Escape of the Creeps - A detailed look into the film's post-production and why the film was barely released to theatres with Writer/Director Fred Dekker, Composer Barry DeVorzon, and Producer Charles Gordon.
  • Legend of the Creeps - Final words from the cast & crew on the film's enduring cult popularity plus interviews with the film's biggest fans.
  • Tom Atkins: Man of Action – A detailed look at the career of Tom Atkins with testimonials from filmmakers he's worked with over the past thirty years.
• Footage from the June 2009 cast reunion screening at The Original Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
• BD-Live Access Exclusive content and downloads!

NIGHT OF THE CREEPS was written & directed by Fred Dekker and stars Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Witlow, David Paymer and Tom Atkins.

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TRAIN (a very loose remake of TERROR TRAIN) starring Thora Birch and Derek Magyar, written and directed by Gideon Raff will finally hit DVD on November 17th courtesy of Lionsgate. Below is the synopsis for the movie, as well as the DVD cover.

"Touring Eastern Europe with her college wrestling team, Alex (Thora Birch - American Beauty) attends a debauched late-night party that causes her and several teammates to miss their train to Odessa. Her coach is furious, but a mysterious woman offers the group a ride on an alternative train. The coach agrees, and the athletes, exhausted and hung over, gratefully climb aboard. However, this train harbors a deadly secret, and for Alex and her fellow passengers, a blood-soaked nightmare is just beginning."

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Whoa! Paul Solet's debut feature GRACE came out theatrically in both NY and LA earlier this month, but we just discovered that BEST BUY exclusively released the Blu-Ray of GRACE TODAY!!! The Blu-Ray is NOW available at BEST BUY locations only, a month before other outlets! The DVD and Blu-Ray will be available everywhere on September 15th.



Below is a full listing of all the special features you'll find on the disc:

* Audio commentary with writer/director Paul Solet, producer Adam Green and director of photography Zoran Popovic
* Audio commentary with writer/director Paul Solet and actor Jordan Ladd (Blu-ray™ exclusive)
* Grace: Conception – charting the film’s origins;
* Grace: Family – an in-depth look at the cast of characters;
* Her Mother’s Eyes: The Look of Grace – designing the unique visuals
* Grace: Delivered – overcoming challenges during principal photography
* Lullaby: Scoring Grace – creating the score and sound effects
* Grace at Sundance – becoming a festival sensation
* Theatrical Trailer

check out our latest GRACE related interviews with writer/director Paul Solet, star Jordan Ladd and producer Adam Green. Click each image to read their interviews!







Written & directed by Paul Solet, starring Jordan Ladd (CABIN FEVER, DEATH PROOF), Gabrielle Rose, Malcolm Stewart, Samantha Ferris, Stephen Park & Serge Houde, & produced by Adam Green (HATCHET, SPIRAL) & Cory Neal from Ariescope with Anchor Bay Entertainment. NY street team photos can be found HERE!

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Yet another SAW VI poster has made it's way on-line, a still shot of the first "motion" poster with the tagline "His Disease Is Spreading". It's more obvious in the poster below that all of Jigsaw's "followers" are wearing the infamous pig mask. Check it out for yourself below!



See the other theatrical poster HERE! Check out the trailer at THIS post here & the theatrical poster HERE. The awesome "motion" poster can be found at our previous news post HERE!

SAW VI hits theaters October 23rd, 2009. Long time SAW editor Kevin Greutert directs the latest sequel SAW VI which stars Shauna MacDonald, Devon Bostick, Marty Moreau, Karen Cliche, Shawn Mathieson, Melanie Scrofano, James Gilbert, Shawn Ahmed, Janelle Hutchison, Gerry Mendicino, Caroline Cave and Ginger Busch with Tobin Bell returning as Jigsaw, Shawnee Smith as Amanda (both for flashback sequences), as well as Costas Mandylor. We'll keep you posted when the trailer drops!

Visit the official site: http://www.saw6film.com

Posted by RobG at 09:35 PM | Permalink Digg This

Actress Christa Campbell unveiled the first picture of the newest MANIAC to join the clan via her FearNET blog. China Rose will be portrayed by genre newcomer Kathryn Le. Click HERE or the image below to read