Horror Movies

The CineCoup Film Accelerator competition is coming down to the wire, and while there are some real gems in the top 10, we all know which film has to win! WolfCop writer & director Lowell Dean very kindly made himself available for an email Q&A session this weekend. I think my “please move production to Vancouver and let me be an extra” begging was subtle, but I’ll let you decide – read on for 10 questions and answers with Lowell. AQ: The script, effects & costumes and the production design for the film seems pretty evolved, based on what we can see in the trailer and the scene for the “Speechless” mission. What sort of pre-production tasks are you holding off on until WolfCop is inevitably selected as the winner in June? LD: I love your confidence. I have yet to do any storyboarding for WolfCop. For 13 Eerie (my first feature) we storyboarded every single action sequence or moment of action. We did it with drawing, acting and action figures, which was a fun way to storyboard! I plan to board at least every beat of action, and ideally I’d love to storyboard most of the movie if our schedule permits it. Despite its “small town America” setting, how much of the film’s aesthetic is rooted in Saskatchewan? Assuming WolfCop wins, will you keep the production there, or are there reasons you might choose (or be compelled by CineCoup’s “Accelerated Production” process) to move everything to a different province? The aesthetic is inspired by the look and feel of small town Saskatchewan – a quaint community on the edge of a dense, mysterious forest. I think of it as Saskatchewan mixed with a bit of Twin Peaks. While I would love to film here, Saskatchewan currently has no competitive film tax credit. So there is a possibility we will have to shoot WolfCop somewhere else. It is a truly Saskatchewan story, and my dream is to shoot it here. I’m just not sure how realistic that is right now. CineCoup seems like it’s been hands-off in terms of restricting the content and themes of the participating films. Is WolfCop likely to be rated PG-13 or R? What sort of audience will the completed film be geared for? I want it to be a true blue horror film. An R rating. Like the films that inspire it (An American Werewolf in London, Scream). A lot of it can be mysterious and implied – which will help with our lower budget. You don’t need to have incessant violence or gore, but when you’ve got a werewolf running around you need those chaotic visceral moments of violence to really drive home the power and danger of the character. I see (late) teen boys loving this movie. They may be the key demographic. But I’m in my 30s and I really want to see it too! How much of Werewolf Lou’s design came from Emersen Ziffle’s vision, versus input from Bernie, Lowell and Hugh? Are there any enhancements to the werewolf makeup effects that an expanded budget might permit? (not that any are needed!) The best part about Emersen and I being good friends is we hang out often, and have talked WolfCop for a year now over coffee and makeup tests, honing the look. That has been a big advantage of shooting a teaser trailer and then having our actor Leo Fafard do a couple personal appearances as WolfCop (at our CineCoup Top 40 Party in Regina and then at the Calgary Expo for Top 15). We’ve been tweaking the whole time. I can tell Emersen a few key details about the character, and he’s read the script and he can then go and create his magic. He knows what he is doing. Emersen suggested a muscle suit, which has worked wonders for the character’s physique and overall physicality as WolfCop. I don’t think a big budget will really change how the character looks, it might just afford us the time and tests to perfect the look of him. He’s very close now to his look for the final film. What are some of the advantages and disadvanta

It's been over a year since last we checked in with the lovable loonies over at Horror Decor, who arguably have some of the coolest stuff you've ever seen for either you or the horror fan in your life, and don't you know they have even more cuddly killer collectibles on tap! Below are a few samples, but we recommend you visit the official Horror Decor website because they're also rocking new merch from Night of the Living Dead, Candyman, House of 1000 Corpses, The Thing, The Stuff, and so much more along with the classics we brought you last year! And if you're not a pillow fan, don't worry- the site also has an extensive collection of other housewares including candles, coasters, oven mitts and pot holders, lamps, and pretty much anything else you could need to add some horrific flairs to your home. Check out some of Horror Decor's collection below, and make sure to head on over to order your favorites today! VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Get comfy in the comments section below!

Finally the English language trailer for the new flick The Incredible Truth, which opened in Singapore on May 16th, has arrived. Check it out, and look for more on this one soon. Including the eventual remake as soon as Hollywood catches wind of it. The film is directed by Sam Leong and stars Christy Chung, Liu Yana, and Megumi Kagurazaka. Synopsis While sightseeing around Japan, a young couple, Jiajia and Wei Ling, have their excursion cut short after they check into the nefarious Hotel Shimizu. The haunted structure holds many murderous secrets, some of which pertain directly to the tourists, who end up getting caught in a web of mystery and bloodshed. Will they survive the night, or will they be the next to fall victim to The Incredible Truth? VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Be set free in the comments section below!

How much absolute lunacy can you fit in a television spot that only lasts a few seconds? Holy shit, are you about to find out as the first international TV spot for Hideo Nakata's The Complex has hit the interwebs, and it's a must-see! The Complex stars Atsuko Maeda. Look for more on this one very soon! Synopsis Nursing student Asuka has just moved into an apartment complex with her parents and younger brother. On the first night in her new room, she is awoken by a strange scratching sound coming from the apartment of her neighbor, a reclusive old man who has refused all attempts at communication. Concerned over his well being, Asuka enters his home, only to find him dead from malnutrition. Worse, it looks as if he had been trying to claw his way into her room. Asuka learns that there have been a number of strange deaths in the complex over the years from Shinobu (Hiroki Narimiya), the handyman cleaning up the old man’s apartment. Even the girls at school whisper rumors of it being haunted. When the late night scratching returns, Asuka ventures back into her neighbor’s home and comes face to face with an apparition of the old man! Panicked by the discovery of her apartment emptied and her family gone, Asuka seeks help from Shinobu, who brings in a spiritualist to exorcise Asuka of the evil surrounding her. However, as she delves into the girl’s predicament, the spiritualist discovers that signs points not to the old man but to a small boy living in the complex with a past as tragic as the one Asuka herself lives in denial of. VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! See apparitions in the comments section below.

This week writer/director Paul Soter’s intensely creepy thriller Dark Circles (review) arrives on DVD, VOD and more courtesy of Lionsgate and After Dark Originals. Starring Johnathon Schaech and Pell James, Dark Circles follows new parents Alex and Penny, who move to the country with their infant in hopes of a normal life and upbringing for their son, but neither of them is prepared for the consistent sleepless nights when their little one can’t sleep for more than 15 minutes, which preys on their ever-diminishing fragile mental states. As both parents begin to experience strange figures and disturbances around their house, neither can determine if what’s happening is something more sinister or if it’s just their minds playing tricks on them (cue the Geto Boys). Dread Central recently chatted with Soter about what inspired Dark Circles, his comedic roots with Broken Lizard and much more. Check out the highlights of our exclusive interview below, and look for more on the flick later this week from co-star Schaech. Dread Central: I thought you did a really great job of playing on a lot of familiar horror conventions in ways you wouldn’t necessarily think of at first, which I really enjoyed; what was the story process for you on Dark Circles? Paul Soter: For me, this all started when I had my first kid a few years ago because my wife and I were in a similar situation where we were completely fucked up after not sleeping for weeks and weeks. It wasn’t until we came out of it that we realized just how out of our minds we really were during that time. The decisions we were making - man, let’s just say we were probably not great parents at all at first - and all the things that we weren’t paying attention to were just scary when you look back at those moments after everything’s said and done and realize what was really happening wasn’t at all like your own mind was perceiving it. So when I realized all we had been through, I thought that exploring all of that within the context of a horror movie would be really interesting. I grew up loving horror movies so I wanted there to be familiar elements but presented in different ways so I appreciate you saying that because I worked really hard to make this not like every other horror movie coming out these days. I didn’t reinvent the wheel but I also didn’t want to give audiences the same movie they see all the time either so we play on perception a lot in Dark Circles so that we could keep everyone guessing. Dread Central: I’m a huge fan of your comedy work, especially on films like Beerfest and Super Troopers- in fact, I remember seeing Beerfest a few times at the Cascade Drive-in back home in Chicago. Paul Soter: Oh that’s so cool- I used to love going to the drive-in all the time; I think the first movie I ever saw at the drive-in was Capricorn One with my three sisters. I used to see a lot of classic horror movies there too. Dread Central: That’s awesome- I wish more people would experience drive-ins. It’s really my favorite way to see a movie. So now, getting back to Dark Circles- because this is a story that could have easily lent itself to either horror or comedy, what made you decide to take this story in the horror direction? Paul Soter: Yeah, when I wrote the script, I realized that the story definitely could have had a comedic conceit as well but honestly, what we had gone through hadn’t felt all that funny so I think horror just felt far more appropriate. Plus growing up, I always loved horror movies and think I was definitely a fan of those movies far before I became a fan of comedies. I guess overall I’m just way more geeky over all the genre stuff than anything else so I was excited that for Dark Circles I was able to do something I’ve always wanted to do and that was make a horror movie. And as a fan, I really miss good, dark human storytelling in my horror movies and I feel like that’s something we don’t see a lot these days; a lot of modern horror movies have either a sa

Imagine if you will carrying a child to term and then one day it disappears without a trace. For parents, especially a mother, there could be no greater sense of horror, and such is the subject of a new indie flick heading our way in July titled Absence. Directed by Jimmy Loweree from a script by Loweree and and Jake Moreno, Absence stars Erin Way, Eric Matheny, Ryan Smale, and Stephanie Scholz. Look for it in limited theatrical release on July 5, 2013. Synopsis In Jimmy Loweree’s striking horror feature debut ABSENCE, doctors are baffled when a young expectant mother, Liz (Erin Way, “Alphas”), wakes to find her nearly-to-term pregnancy disappear overnight. The police are investigating the situation as a missing child case and only her husband, Rick (Eric Matheny, J. Edgar), and brother, Evan (Ryan Smale, Damage), trust her version of events. Told in the “found footage” style, Evan looks for answers by filming his sister’s experience. The trio embark upon a trip to the mountains to escape the attention of the police and prying neighbors. When the trip spins out of control, they realize that whatever happened with Liz and her baby isn’t over. None of them are safe. VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Disappear into the comments section below.

So, how badly would you like to, say... score an iPad mini? Or maybe win tickets to the world premiere of World War Z in Los Angeles? Badly enough to go on a witch hunt? If you answered "YES" to any of those questions. grab your torch and pitchforks and read on! Alrighty, kids! Time to scour your favorite haunts on the Internet! Below you'll find our lovely little Dread Central witch! Five other sites have witches as well. The first person to find all 6 witch images and uncover the complete secret URL will win an iPad mini with digital versions of the theatrical release and the "Unrated Cut" of the film. Everyone else who enters will have a chance to win a trip to the premiere of World War Z. To follow the progress of the hunt and to receive possible hints, keep your eyes glued to the official Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters Twitter page and the official Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters Facebook page! The unrated cut of the film is AVAILABLE NOW on all digital outlets, and the DVD and Blu-ray of the flick will be available on June 11th. Good luck! From the Press Release Boasting a worldwide box office of over $211 million, Tommy Wirkola's fantasy adventure Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is set to hit Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and On Demand June 11th from Paramount Home Media Distribution. The film will also be available early for Digital Download on May 21st. The film stars Jeremy Renner (Marvel's The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy), Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace), Famke Janssen (X-Men), Thomas Mann (Beautiful Creatures) and Peter Stormare (The Big Lebowski). Written and directed by Wirkola (Dead Snow), the film tells the story of the brother and sister team seeking to avenge their parents’ deaths. But after a lifetime of hunting witches, Hansel and Gretel now must face an evil greater than anything they’ve seen: a terrifying new threat so massive, it could destroy the world as we know it. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters will be available in both its original theatrical version and an unrated version with never-before-seen footage in a Blu-ray/DVD combo or a three-disc Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo, both with UltraViolet. The combo packs boast revealing special features that take audiences behind the scenes for a look at the reinvention of the story, an in-depth examination of the gruesome witches and an up close and personal visit with the extraordinary troll, Edward. The film will also be available as a single-disc DVD that includes the theatrical version of the film. The Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack includes all of the above, as well as a Blu-ray 3D in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The Blu-ray 3D includes the theatrical version of the film. Special Features Blu-ray Feature film in high definition (Unrated version) Reinventing Hansel & Gretel The Witching Hours Meet Edward the Troll Special Features DVD Feature film in standard definition (Theatrical version) VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Start your witch hunt in our comments section below!

The Season 2 finale of "Grimm," entitled "Good Night, Sweet Grimm," airs tonight, and we recently had a chance to chat with Bree Turner (Rosalee) about the show's scariest creatures, the most challenging aspects of her character, and of course the gruesome finale! AMANDA DYAR: What would you say is the scariest creature so far to appear on the show? BREE TURNER: I think the scariest creature was that Mauvais Dentes that was in our Season 2 premiere with the big saber-tooth teeth. He was very scary. And I thought both the special effects makeup and the CGI on that creature were really, really some of our best. AMANDA DYAR: What would you say is one of the most challenging aspects of working on "Grimm"? BREE TURNER: Oh, the most challenging. Well, I haven't really had much experience in the genre. I did a "Masters of Horror" for Showtime. I did a one-hour film. That was my only other genre piece that I've done. I think with this, though, you have to really commit to the world that you're imagining because a lot of what you see on television is not what's happening on the set. You know, we don't look like our creatures when we're acting. It's all CGI. We have little white dots all over our faces when we're trying to do these serious scenes. And also the language - the German, the Grimmish - and the fact that it needs to sound casual. I think all those elements combined are challenging and unique to any other job I've personally done. Now check out the full conference call transcript below, and enjoy! In what ways did you see Rosalee further grow and develop as a character this season. And what new acting challenges did you find with that growth? BREE TURNER: I think the biggest evolution for Rosalee between Season 1 and Season 2 is her confidence in the spice shop and being an apothecary and being in this world… When I arrived on the scene, I always likened Rosalee to someone who was the most talented with the biggest gifts in terms of this world in her family but the one that was the most insecure and lost with it all. And that shows with admitting my drug use and moving away from Portland and isolating myself - my talent scared me so to speak. So I tried to make a focus just for myself, whether it was scripted or not, to slowly develop the confidence in this world and being the authority in terms of healing and the medicine world. And now that we're at the end of the second season, I think it's been really fun to throw a lot of that away now and just be confident and own my power now. And I think there's been a lot of really wonderful sort of layers of the onion that have been exposed to the fans, that my father was on the special committee that keeps everyone in check and that my brother and that have this connection to this. When we were doing that "Natural Born Wesen" episode, I kind of likened myself to being Colin Powell's daughter or something, and there was this surprising reveal to Monroe that I have this major, major authority really in this world and I don't speak of it. I thought that was pretty cool. So anyway, to answer your question, I think her confidence and becoming secure with her powers. As a follow-up question, we love the relationship obviously between Monroe and Rosalee. How did that grow and develop this year, and what do you enjoy most about the relationship and working with Silas? BREE TURNER: It's been a really, really fun season… just sort of embracing Rosalee's light and her kindness and compassion , who she is. I think her past is just her skeletons, her demons, her path that she was on, and I think at her core she's a truly compassionate loving soul and spirit. So it's been really fun to not play the dark [but to] play the light this year and enjoy the journey with Silas, who is just such an incredible actor and person and now friend. And we've had such a good time. We're so rela

Buckle up, kids! On tap we have a treat for you fans of Sasquatchploitation! Just waiting for your perusal are the first five stills from Ed Sanchez's (The Blair Witch Project) new Bigfoot film, Exists! Dig it! Exists stars Dora Madison Burge, Samuel Davis, Roger Edwards, Chris Osborn, and Denise Williamson with Eduardo Sanchez (The Blair Witch Project, Lovely Molly) directing from a Jamie Nash script. Brian Steele (Hellboy) plays the monster. Producers are Robin Cowie, Jane Fleming, Andy Jenkins, and Mark Ordesky with Gregg Hale and Reed Frerichs exec producing. Exists is a horror-thriller that chronicles a group of friends who set out into a remote Texas woods for a weekend of fun and are stalked and hunted by Bigfoot. More as it comes. VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON! Got news? Click here to submit it! Hang out with other primates in the comments section below!

We've already seen a few pictures of the military landing craft from the set of the currently shooting Godzilla, and now comes a quick video test of the craft in action. We also have another video from the streets of Steveston! Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Richard T. Jones, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, David Strathairn, Patrick Sabongui, Yuki Morita, Brian Markinson, Juliette Binoche, Akira Takarada, Victor Rasuk, and Ken Watanabe star. Gareth Edwards is directing the film from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, Frank Darabont, and Dave Callaham. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Alex Garcia and Patricia Whitcher are serving as executive producers alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira. A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, Godzilla will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it will be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment. Slated to open on May 16, 2014, the film is expected to be presented in 3D. VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON!Got news? Click here to submit it! Stomp around in the comments section below!