February, 2009
Below are links to articles posted in February, 2009
Behind the Scenes Footage from Romero’s ‘… of the Dead’
This footage leaked from an unknown film festival where George Romero showed some behind the scenes footage from his upcoming zombie film “… Of the Dead.” Check it out.
. . . .
‘Thing’ Prequel Delays ‘Army of the Dead’
Matthijs van Heijningen was originally slated to direct the Zack Snyder-produced “Army of the Dead” ? a film that has been talked about ever since Snyder’s “Dawn of the Dead” remake made gazillions.
Well, as time has marched on, Snyder is now an uber success ? with “300″ and now “Watchmen” under his belt. Heijningen was set to direct “Army,” but has now landed the gig as director of the prequel of John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” So what is the status of “Army of the Dead”?
Snyder has let it be known that the film is officially on hold. It will rev up again after the “Thing” prequel is finished.
. . .
‘Rec 2′ Roundup: New Images, Teaser Trailer
The first film was already remade as “Quarantine,” but a sequel to Filmfax’s “Rec” is almost finished. Here are the latest images and trailer.
The images appeared on the Spanish horror site Aullidos.com.
The movie, a production of July Fern�ndez for Filmax directed by Jaume Balaguer� and Paco Plaza, starts some hours later of the ending of the first part. “Rec 2″ shot in Barcelona during a six week shoot.
. . .
Williamson Plans New ‘Scream’ Trilogy
Remember Kevin Williamson from the 1990s? The guy who wrote “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”? Well, Rope of Silicon has discovered the writer has proposed a new “Scream” trilogy to Dimension — that would be “Scream 4″, “5″ and “6.” Apparently Williamson hadn’t heard that the best way to make horror movie money these days was with remakes.
Information on his plans came in the form of an internal document from the William Morris agency which was then published by Rope of Silicon. Meanwhile, Craven has indicated he could return if the right script were in place and the money was right.
A “Scream 4″ reportedly would feature a young new cast, with cameos from old cast members like Neve Campbell.. .
Trailer for ‘Mutant Chronicles’
Earth’s natural resources have been exhausted by mankind and a battle rages between the soldiers of four leading Corporations. Welcome to “The Mutant Chronicles”!
Directed by Simone Hunter, “The Mutant Chronicles” hits U.S. theaters April 24. Not exactly horror, it’s more of a Cyberpunk war movie apparently. But it stars Ron Perlman, which should appeal to any horror fan.
.
Cheesy New Poster for ‘Evilution’
Here’s the new poster for Chris Conlee’s “Evilution,” a horror sci-fi film completed in 2008 and still awaiting a release.
The film won for Best Special Effects at the Chicago Horror Film Festival. Here’s the official synopsis:
A microscopic alien life form has been discovered with the ability to possess the living and resurrect the dead. The United States Army has tried to communicate with it but failed. Instead, the military has tried to create a genetically altered version of the alien in order to resurrect dead soldiers on the battlefield.
‘My Bloody Valentine’ to Strike Blu-Ray
Not all horror remakes are bad. In fact, “My Bloody Valentine 3-D” was actually a better film than the original. Good news is the film is slated for a May 26 release on Blu-Ray by Lionsgate, ESplatter has learned. What isn’t known is whether it will be featured in 3-D or not.
“Friday the 13th Part 3 in 3-D” just was released by Paramount, and although the 3-D isn’t spectacular on DVD, it isn’t bad. It would be interesting to see what they could pull off with Blu-Ray.
‘H2′ First Photo
One reason I have some hope for Rob Zombie’s “H2″ is that it isn’t a remake. It’s a sequel to a remake, which will hopefully give him more creative control over what transpires in the film.
Here’s the very first photo from the production, which began shooting Feb. 23. It’s presumably of Laurie Strode getting the emergency room treatment after her encounter with Myers in the first film.
The film hits screens in August.. .
Aliens to Return to Terrorizing Comics Soon!
Pretty much the biggest news in horror comics this month is that the first issue of the newest Aliens series is now available for pre-order (click here). Published by Dark Horse Comics, who was responsible for bringing Aliens to comics in the first place, this issue marks the first non-spin-off Aliens story in almost [...]
‘Tokyo Zombie’ Invades Anchor Bay
In the tradition of “Shaun of the Dead,” the horror comedy “Tokyo Zombie” is set hit DVD in the U.S. April 7, 2009, courtesy of Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The film was written and directed by Sakichi Sato, who wrote Takashi Miike?s controversial, award-winning Ichi the Killer, and many observers have compared this film to Miike?s ground-breaking work in the horror genre.
Tadanobu Asano (the Academy-Award nominated Mongol) and Show Aikawa (Zebraman, Specter, winner of the Japanese Professional Film Award) portray a pair of full-time slackers and wannabe jujitsu champions who bring the murdered body of their sleazy boss to Tokyo?s infamous toxic waste dump known as ?Black Fuji.?
But when an army of the undead rises from the foul, festering trash heap, our ?heroes? must battle a non-stop barrage of hasty decapitations, perverted teachers, tasty snack foods (!), stormy romance and zombie professional wrestling. Yes, the fate of humanity hinges on these two dimwit misfits ? one dumber than the other.
The film is based on the popular manga comic by Yusaku Hanakuma.. . .
Remembering Robert Quarry, 1925-2009
Word out on the Web is that Robert Quarry, legendary star of “Count Yorga, Vampire”, has passed away. This news really crept in under the radar, but then Quarry was no a superstar like Vincent Price. But he deserves his place in history.
Quarry also starred in “Deathmaster,” an amusing vampire film that plays off the Charles Manson mythos, and in Vincent Price’s “Madhouse” and Price’s “Dr. Phibes Rises Again.”
At Cinefantastique, Steve Biodrowski penned a touching obituary to the almost-legend. “I will always think of Robert Quarry as the Greatest Horror Star Who Never Was.” Click here for it.
.
Danny Boyle Cleans Up at The Oscars
Danny Boyle’s incredible “Slumdog Millionaire” won Best Picture honors and Boyle won for Best Director at last night’s Oscars. As a horror fan, you have good reason to brag to your parents about this, because Boyle also directed one of the most seminal horror films of the past 10 years.
Boyle is of course the creator and first director of the “28 Days Later” series, of course, and in fact has hinted that he will be helming another film in the franchise.
. . . .
‘Last House on the Left’ TV Spots
Remakes, remakes, remakes. Well, the “Last House on the Left” remake TV spots seem to evoke some of the spirit of the original — but it’s still surreal to see such an amazing cult classic being remade — and with Wes Craven’s blessing!
Shot in South Africa, this remake is directed by Dennis Iliadis. With an R rating, you can’t expect it to carry anywhere near the intensity of the original — although they have been getting away with a lot more with R ratings lately.
Since remakes are the only horror movies getting significant theatrical releases these days, at least you can expect to see it in your local cineplex, March 13, 2009.
. . .
Trailer for the New ‘Dunwich Horror’
Not to be confused with the 1970 Dean Stockwell horror movie of the same name, “The Dunwich Horror” of 2009 has been directed by Leigh Scott and is based on the same H.P. Lovecraft story.
This one does feature Dean Stockwell (quite a bit older but still ready to rumble) and the great Jeffrey Combs of “Re-Animator” fame. It doesn’t sound too extreme. It’s Rated R for “brief nudity and a violent image.”
. .
Trailer for Global Warming Horror ‘The Thaw’
With no official release date set, “The Thaw” at least looks like an original, interesting environmental horror movie.
At a remote Arctic research station, four ecology students discover the real horror of global warming is not the melting ice, but what’s frozen within it. A prehistoric parasite is released from the carcass of a Woolly Mammoth upon the unsuspecting students who are forced to quarantine and make necessary sacrifices, or risk infecting the rest of the world.
The film was directed by Mark A. Lewis, who also wrote it.
. . .
Kate Beckinsale – Vacancy, Underworld, Van Helsing
‘Friday the 13th’ and the Triumph of Corporate Horror
Some quick thoughts on the awesome box office success of the “Friday the 13th” remake this weekend. Some horror sites are celebrating the record $42 million haul this film has taken as a triumph for the horror genre.
I beg to differ. The big box office of films like this one and Rob Zombie’s remake of “Halloween”, may spell the end of the horror genre we all know and love. It’s a lot like the death of rock ‘n roll.
How?
Because here’s what’s happening — culturally — in this new era of corporate horror where only big name brands are given the chance to generate huge profits at the box office. The new titles are getting drowned out and heading straight to video.
Clips for ‘Red Sands’
Present-day Afghanistan. As continuing battles rage in the war-torn country, a unit of U.S. soldiers are dispatched to seize and control a strategic road that runs past an abandoned stone house. En route, the soldiers discover an ancient stone statue hidden deep within an ancient ravine. Using the relic for target practice, they destroy it, unwittingly releasing a vengeful supernatural force that is about to wage a horrifying war on them in this taut, action-packed, psychological thriller.
Here are clips for Alex Turner’s “Red Sands,” the new horror movie hitting DVD store shelves Feb.
Win ‘Friday the 13th’ Uncut on DVD
We’ve got two copies of the original “Friday the 13th” UNCUT on DVD to give away. The first two of you to respond with the correct answer to this trivia question WIN!
Which Bernie Madoff victim starred in “Friday the 13th”? Send your asnwer to Lucius Gore and don’t forget to include your mailing address. Look for more “Friday the 13th” DVD giveaways in the days ahead. We’ll also be giving away special editions of “Part 2″ and “Part 3 in 3-D.”
. .
February — The Month Ahead in DVD
This is a very busy month for DVD, especially because of the “Friday the 13th” season. Of course, the special edition DVDs from Paramount are already in stores — with the first ever Blu-Ray release for the original “Friday”.
Also hitting stores in February is Sony PIctures’ direct-to-DVD Steven Seagal vampire-action epic “Against the Dark.” “Dorothy Mills” hits stores this Tuesday from the Weinstein Company, along with the much anticipated Bruce Campbell comedy “My Name Is Bruce.” The director of “Shrooms” followed up that title with “Red Mist,” hitting stores today from Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Two TV seasons are hitting shelves as well. The second season of “Friday the 13th: The Series” streets today along with the first season of “Tales From the Darkside,” the George Romero production from the 1980s.
On February 17, Warner unleashes “Alien Raiders.” The horror host documentary “American Scary” hits stores, as does the Clive Barker adaptation “Midnight Meat Train” and the “Rec” remake “Quarantine.” Direct-to-DVD offerins “Feast III” and “Screamers: The Hunting” hit stores the same day.
Things get even better for classic horror fans on February 24, with the first ever Blu-Ray releease of Dario Argento’s “Bird With the Crystal Plumage” from Blue Underground (review here), a new release of “Last House on the Left” (review here) from MGM and Redemption USA’s new upgrade for Jean Rollin’s “Requiem for a Vampire” (review here).
. .
Save to del.icio.us
