Week of « Prev | Next »
1-20 of 41 articles « Prev | Next »
New Films answers the Chain Letter
8 November 2009 5:13 AM, PST
Variety reports that New Films has picked up worldwide rights to the teen-torture flick Chain Letter. The company plans a U.S. release for the movie next year, and sees it as the potential launch of a screen franchise.
Produced by the Saw masterminds at Twisted Pictures and directed by Deon Taylor from a script he wrote with Diana Erwin and Michael J. Pagan, Chain Letter is about a group of high-schoolers who receive the titular messages electronically, and soon learn that failure to pass them on means painful death at the hands of hulking psychopath the Chain Man (The Hills Have Eyes’ Michael Bailey Smith). The cast also includes the Twilight films’ Nikki Reed, the Saw sequels’ Betsy Russell, Deadgirl’s Noah Segan and genre stalwarts Brad Dourif and Keith David; Toolbox Murders’ Dean Jones created the makeup FX. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
The Tournament (Film Review)
7 November 2009 11:05 AM, PST
Every seven years, 30 of the world’s most deadly assassins take over a random city and compete for a ten million dollar prize. The rules are simple. The contestants have twenty-four hours to be the sole survivor, if not a tracking device implanted in their abdomen will detonate. Let the game begin.
If you’re a fan of action blockbusters like Transporter or Crank than The Tournament should excite you. The film is ninety minutes of explosions, slow-motion, 300-style fight sequences, and shoot-em-up action. But what really sets The Tournament apart from most films in this genre is the gratuitous gore, hence the appeal to fright fans. There are plenty of exploding heads/dismemberments and because the tournament takes place in a random city, there is no shortage of civilian casualties. The body count is high and unlike cartoonish films like Transformers, the mayhem is bloody and visceral.
But if you’re like me, »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Rich Mallery)
Texas Vibrator Massacre (DVD Review)
7 November 2009 10:58 AM, PST
Texas Vibrator Massacre is about the movie you'd expect from Rob Rotten, who previously directed Porn Of The Dead. This time we're treated to a family of redneck killers instead of zombies, with the killing taking place between uninspired hardcore sex scenes. I expected the movie to toss up some chuckles in between some softcore scenes and fall into the DVD library somewhere between Playmate Of The Apes and The Witches Of Breastwick. As it turns out, I'm nowhere near that lucky.
The basic set-up hits all of the cliché horror premise hooks. A group of friends take a wrong turn during a road trip in rural Texas, run afoul of said family of rednecks, and engage in various sex acts before being killed/mutilated/stabbed/etc. All of the gore, with one exception, takes place after the sex, which is a relief. The one exception, a scene in which »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Benjamin Dolle)
Rapped And Tagged: Crossworm | Mouth Full Of Dirt
7 November 2009 10:49 AM, PST
Crossworm is one hell of a versatile Canadian, as evidenced by his latest release Mouth Full Of Dirt. Mouth may be labeled dirtcore, but it's more a combination of a little self deprecation, an unhealthy load of angst and a taste of the macabre, all tangled up in the form of an impressive, emotional six track Ep. The album, produced by Crossworm himself (with a little guitar assistance from Lukas D) offers an eclectic blend of music, ranging from grimey metal foundations to melodic hip hop undertones. And Crossworm finds little trouble pinpointing a comfortable vocal range on each of these varying instrumentals. It's really an impressive effort on the whole.
To support my claims are the unique offerings 'Shades Of Gray', a (somehow) smooth yet aggressive track in which Cross ensures listeners he's here to stay. 'Before I Wake' is a punchy joint that enables Cross to exercise an intricate vocal cadence. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Matt Molgaard)
Trinity Of Terrors: Know Your Spooksmodel
7 November 2009 10:33 AM, PST
So you've seen her picture in the magazine or just been to Fango's Trinity of Terrors in Vegas, and you wanna know who the beautiful girl in the tiara with the chainsaw is?
It's actress Shannon Lark, Fangoria Magazine's first official Spooksmodel. If you're curious as to how the plucky young performer landed this gig, or what duties that job entails, you're in luck, because here's where you get to Know Your Spooksmodel.
Pat Jankiewicz: Shannon, Is it true that when you became our Spooksmodel, you vowed to protect Fangoria from Enemies both foreign and domestic?
Shannon Lark: I did.
Pat Jankiewicz: How were you selected for this important job?
Shannon Lark: I participated in a contest where I danced onstage with a real chainsaw to Fergie's "London Bridges". They felt like I was the most crafty for the job, particularly with my expertise with handling Craftsman chain saws. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Pat Jankiewicz)
Chapman Encounters of The Fourth Kind
7 November 2009 10:28 AM, PST
Since it first started airing trailers in front of District 9, there's been some debate over whether or not Universal Studios' Fourth Kind is a true story or not.
Evidence for it being true is the purported 'real' footage of the 'real' Dr. Abigail Tyler. The strongest claim for it's authenticity is all the footage of Dr. Tyler in the film is stamped "Chapman University", a real Southern California school. Surely, a real university would not participate in such shenanigans...?
First clue as to the existence of "Dr. Abigail Tyler" is that her online research started a month ago, coincidentally when Fourth Kind turned on it's PR blitz.
So how did they get Chapman University in on the hoax? Fourth Kind's writer/director Olatunde Osunsanmi is an alumni of the school. Chapman's Chappenings site comes clean on Osunsanmi and alien owls here.
Even though this has been debunked, Chapman »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Pat Jankiewicz)
Quick hit: Bad Blood (DVD Review)
7 November 2009 10:23 AM, PST
Inheriting property always seems like a good deal, especially for a well-educated family who wants to escape city life for a while. What could be more ideal than a large family home on the edge of a small Spanish country village filled with simple folk who like going to church and keeping old world customs. Property values are effected by three things however, location, foundation and curses.
These townsfolk really hold true to the folktales of the past. They do not take lightly when new families move in and revive Bad Blood. New families do not heed the warning signs or even try to protect themselves until it is too late. When the kids start seeing things and mommy starts going a bit batty, there’s always room at the séance table for a couple of priests and a couple of frightened new home owners. The problem with séances is »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Andrew Perez )
White Stripes, The Damned, & More in next week's Rock Band Dlc
7 November 2009 10:17 AM, PST
Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that a three pack of tracks from The White Stripes and singles from The Damned and Kasabian will be added next week to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system and Wii™. Tracks from No Doubt and Dropkick Murphys will be available for download next week for Rock Band Unplugged on PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.
Rock Band Dlc Additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 System and Wii
Brother/sister duo [ Note: This is wording from the official press release ;) ] The White Stripes will release a three pack of some of their most loved songs on Rock Band next week. The band, composed of Jack White (of The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, both featured in Rock Band) and Meg White, has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and has won five Grammy Awards, including three for Best Alternative Music Album. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Staff)
TV Reviews: The Vampire Diaries 1.07: “Haunted” & 1.08: “162 Candles”
7 November 2009 10:12 AM, PST
What is it about female vampires that consistently earn them a stake through the heart on The Vampire Diaries? It’s almost as though the show is attempting to (or maybe unconsciously?) make a statement about women and power... Either way, it appears that The Vampire Diaries is hell bent on offering audiences these wonderfully colorful characters for the sole purpose of ripping them away from us in less than an episode or two.
As anyone who is watching The Vampire Diaries knows, the two female vampires I’m referring to are Vicki Donovan (yep, Damon turned her… because he was bored) and Lexi (guest appearance by Arielle Kebbel), a vampire friend of Stefan’s who arrives in Mystic Falls at the beginning of episode 1.08, “162 Candles”, to celebrate Stefan’s (Paul Wesley) 162nd birthday. Episode 1.07, “Haunted”, is Vicki’s (Kayla Ewell) time to shine. Although her schizophrenic mood swings and »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Paige MacGregor)
Salvage filmmaker plans a Drought
6 November 2009 6:07 PM, PST
According to The Hollywood Reporter, British filmmaker Lawrence Gough, who currently has Salvage (pictured) doing the festival circuit, will next direct Drought for The Works International and Mann Made Films. The movie is an ecological action/horror story in the vein of John Hillcoat’s upcoming Cormac McCarthy adaptation The Road.
The screenplay by Colin O’Donnell, who also scripted Salvage, focuses on a couple with a sick daughter struggling to survive in a world depleted of water. Having survived as long as possible in their suburban home, they set out on a trek to London, plunging them into a bloody fight for their lives. Currently being presold at the American Film Market, Drought is scheduled to start filming next summer, with the budget contingent on casting. Salvage, which won the Trailblazer Award at this year’s Edinburgh Film Festival and has also screened at Austin, TX’s Fantastic Fest and London’s Film4 Frightfest, »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
Trinity Of Terrors - Archived Webcast with Slipknot's Corey Taylor
6 November 2009 3:37 PM, PST
The inaugural Fangoria Trinity Of Terrors took place last weekend at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, and bringing back a popular feature from past conventions, the Fango crew was broadcasting Live from the event all weekend.
Many of the attending celebrities took time to sit down at the Fangoria.com webcast booth for a spontaneous live broadcast and chat, and on Sunday we welcomed Slipknot frontman/Trinity of Terrors Executive Producer Corey Taylor (see his favorite horror films here in a Fangoria Musick List of Doom) to the booth for a post-Halloween show discussion with our own James Zahn and Shannon Lark.
Check out the video below the break.
»
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Fangoria.com)
Jennifer’S Body DVD/Blu-ray details
6 November 2009 1:59 PM, PST
Just when we thought we were done with the day’s disc news, Fox Home Entertainment sent along the complete specs for its dual release of Jennifer’S Body. The Megan Fox-starrer arrives on DVD and in a two-Blu-ray set December 29, with each edition containing both the theatrical and unrated extended cuts.
The Karyn Kusama-directed, Diablo Cody-scripted film about high-school cheerleader/temptress Jennifer (Fox), who becomes a boy-killing demon, to the consternation of her best friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried), is presented in anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen with Dolby Digital 5.1 (on the DVD) and DTS-hd 5.1 Master (Blu-ray) soundtracks. Both releases include audio commentary by Kusama and Cody on the theatrical version, and commentary by the director solo on the extended cut. The Blu-ray additionally comes with:
• Deleted Scenes:
-Dead Boys
-Jennifer Check is Gross
-Needy Confronts Jennifer
-Who’s Cindy Crawford?
-Needy Faces the Band
-Ass, Gas or Grass… »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
DVD horror news #1: Pontypool, Hard Revenge Milly, Lost Skeleton, etc.
6 November 2009 12:42 PM, PST
• IFC Films and Mpi Media Group gave Fango the first look at cover art for their DVD release of Pontypool (pictured), the acclaimed and unusual zombie thriller starring Stephen McHattie. Also coming this winter from the two companies is another well-received genre film, the Argentinean ghost story The Appeared.
Directed by Bruce McDonald and scripted by Tony Burgess from his book, Pontypool (streeting January 26; see our review here) casts McHattie as a shock jock who, one cold early winter morning, starts receiving mysterious reports from outside about violent and frightening acts committed by the local townspeople. It turns out that they’re infected with a spreading plague that is transmitted via speech and turns them into bloodthirsty killers. In The Appeared (a.k.a. Aparecidos, out January 12), writer/director Paco Cabezas spins the tale of a brother and sister who discover a diary documenting horrific murder and torture 20 years before. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
DVD horror news #2: Indie chillers on disc
6 November 2009 12:32 PM, PST
• Demon Resurrection (pictured), the new shocker from writer/director William Hopkins (who wrote the original story for Fangoria Films’ Children Of The Night) is now available from Feature Resources, Inc. Alexis Golightly, Damian Ladd, Bashir Solebo, Laurie Miller, Will McDonald and Joe Zaso star in this story of a witches’ coven, exectuted 200 years ago, who arise as skeletal zombies in search of a young woman who may be carrying the child of a Cthulhu-like deity.
Extras include:
• Audio commentary by Hopkins
• 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette
• Interviews with Hopkins and producer Frank Cilla
Retail price is $14.99, and shipping and handling are free if you purchase the disc here; specially priced autographed copies can be ordered from Zaso by e-mailing scorpio20810@aol.com.
• Morbid Vision Films, the company behind Bone Sickness and At Dawn They Sleep, recently issue a special-edition disc of its latest gorefest, Fetus. Written and directed by Brian Paulin, who also produced with Stacey Paulin, »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
Bigfoot and vampire sightings on Fangoria Radio tonight!
6 November 2009 9:49 AM, PST
All sorts of legendary creatures are coming out for Fangoria Radio. Tonight’s show, hosted by Debbie Rochon and Fango managing editor Michael Gingold (airing live on Sirius Xm Stars satellite radio, Sirius channel 108/Xm channel 139, from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Est, with a repeat immediately thereafter) will give you the skinny on a bunch of indie frights:
• Genre mainstays Tim Thomerson (pictured) and Ken Foree, along with producer Mark Terry, will tell us why you should sink your teeth into Live Evil, their new priest-vs.-bloodsuckers flick making its debut on VOD
• Not Your Typical Bigfoot director Jay Delaney and the subjects of his documentary, self-styled Sasquatch seekers Dallas Gilbert and Wayne Burton, will be on to talk about the recent DVD release
• Actor Jim O’Rear, a frequent co-star of Debbie’s, will explain why The Dead Matter in his new movie, the feature debut of the »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Samuel Zimmerman)
Sneak-Preview: Fangoria #289 (January 2010)
6 November 2009 9:29 AM, PST
Love it or hate it, Fango #288 has been on the market for a few weeks, and that means it's time to take a look to the future.
Shipping in December is Fangoria #289 (January 2010). This is the first issue featuring contributing writer Stephen King with the first installment of his two-part essay (to be concluded in Fango #290).
Check out the full Guts & Gravy below the jump, where you can also pre-order this issue a la carte, or subscribe for massive savings!
Guts
Their Name Is “Legion” Angels shed their wings and take up arms for a heavenly and hellish war on Earth. “Pig” Out And hungry too, which means those who embark on a “Pig Hunt” are in for an unpleasant surprise. “Dread” Heads In the latest Clive Barker feature, those who experiment with fear are inevitably unhappy about the results. “Graves” Situations Two beautiful sisters, one maniacal reverend and a »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
Trinity Of Terrors - Hew Burney Gallery #4 Slipknot on Halloween
6 November 2009 8:36 AM, PST
From October 30-November 1st, the inaugural Fangoria Trinity Of Terrors took over The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas for the ultimate Halloween weekend. The following photos were taken by Hew Burney, at the special performance by Slipknot on Halloween night - their final performance of the All Hope Is Gone album cycle.
A master gallery is being constructed and will be found here when completed. More photos of the Slipknot performance to come.
{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totslipknothew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/slipknotlive/1.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totslipknothew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/slipknotlive/2.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totslipknothew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/slipknotlive/3.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totslipknothew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/slipknotlive/4.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
Robin Hardy Grows The Wicker Tree
6 November 2009 8:34 AM, PST
Last Friday at New York City’s 92YTribeca, fans of Robin Hardy’s 1973 British horror classic The Wicker Man got a special treat. Not only was a 35mm print of the movie screened with Hardy in attendance, but the director unveiled 10 minutes of clips from his latest feature The Wicker Tree (formerly known as Cowboys For Christ). Fango got a chance to speak with Hardy exclusively about the new project, which was partially encouraged by the misbegotten 2006 remake of The Wicker Man starring Nicolas Cage.
“It had been in my mind to do another movie,” Hardy says, “and when they made the Nicolas Cage version, I thought they missed the point of the first film completely. I say point, but I mean points, really. They just used the plot and threw away all the atmosphere and charm, the things which lulled you into a sense of this being a marvelous, »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
More special screenings of new fear fare
6 November 2009 8:20 AM, PST
Halloween is over, but the horror-film screenings continue. A quartet of genre features that have yet to achieve general distribution will be shown this month on opposite coasts, all with special guests on hand.
Tonight at midnight (actually 11:55 p.m.) at Los Angeles’ New Beverly Cinema (7165 Beverly Boulevard), the Grindhouse Film Festival presents a special showing of Lee Damarbre’s Smash Cut, about a horror filmmaker (played by the original Last House On The Left’s David Hess) who uses real body parts in his screen shockers. Inspired by the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis (who has an onscreen role, along with his The Wizard Of Gore star Ray Sager), the movie also features adult-film star Sasha Grey, Jesse Buck and Fango fave Michael Berryman. Demarbre and Hess will introduce the Grindhouse showing—Smash Cut’s only big-screen engagement in La—and take part in a Q&A afterward. »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)
Trinity Of Terrors - Hew Burney Gallery #3 Show Floor, Sunday
6 November 2009 7:41 AM, PST
From October 30-November 1st, the inaugural Fangoria Trinity Of Terrors took over The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas for the ultimate Halloween weekend. The following photos were taken by Hew Burney, and represent the show floor on Sunday, November 1st. A master gallery is being constructed and will be found here when completed. More photos to come.
{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totsunshowhew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/show/sun/1.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totsunshowhew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/show/sun/2.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totsunshowhew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/show/sun/3.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totsunshowhew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/show/sun/4.jpg{/rokbox}{rokbox size=|600 810| title=|Trinity Of Terrors Vegas 2009 :: | album=|totsunshowhew|}images/stories/october2009/trinity/show/sun/5.jpg{/rokbox}
{rokbox size »
- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)
1-20 of 41 articles « Prev | Next »
