At The Mountains of Madness - More From Del Toro

The news that Guillermo del Toro's next film won't beAt the Mountains of Madnessfor Universal still stings. We're all pretty heartbroken to be honest. So what exactly happened?

In an exclusive interview withDeadlinedel Toro himself shed some light on the subject. Dig on some excerpts below and hit up that link for the whole enchilada.

On casting Tom Cruise ...

"Closing Tom’s deal was in{Universal's}hands. He was without a doubt, absolutely in favor of being in the movie. We met extensively, both in Canada and the U.S., dozens of times. Final polishes of the screenplay met with his approval. Closing the deal is not something that was in my hands. They needed to close it corporately."

On the R rating ...

"I think the R should be worn like a badge of merit in promoting the movie. To say, this is not a gory movie, not a movie full of profanity or violence, but it’s a really intense movie."

On the budget and dealing with Universal ...

"Since the day of the decision, I haven’t had a face to face with them. We’ve exchanged a few phone calls. In my mind, we were given the parameters of a budget and screenplay, and I was given the chance by the studio to create a visual presentation. They were blown away by the visual presentation, they openly admitted to loving the screenplay, saying it was dead on. And we hit the target on the budget they gave us, not a figure I arrived at. This came after months and months of story boarding, haggling with VFX companies, and bringing down the budget number. The week before the decision, I was scouting in the border of Canada and Alaska. We were a week away from opening offices in Toronto. We were crewed up, and frankly, I am as puzzled as most people are. One of the biggest, biggest points for me with this movie was the scope and the R, going hand in hand."

So there you have it, folks. Sadly, that's just the way Hollywood works sometimes. In the interim we'll be happy to have a new monster flick inPacific Rim, but if there's any justice in this world we'll eventually get ourAt the Mountains of Madnesswith Guillermo at the helm doing it the only way he knows how ... his way.

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Indie Horror Month - 25 Milestones in Independent Horror Filmmaking: Part 3

Welcome back, fiends! Over the last two days we’ve looked at the first 10 milestones in independent horror filmmaking, starting in 1921 and ending up in 1977 with David Lynch’sEraserhead.
Today we begin in the year 1978 and take you through the next five milestones of indie horror up until the year 1981.

1978- Joe Dante DirectsPiranha:
Before he was terrifying this writer as a small child with his gritty werewolf taleThe Howling(the animated werewolf sex scene remains to this day an all-time favorite of mine) or capturing the imaginations of children and adults alike withGremlins, director Joe Dante started off working for the iconic B-Movie master Roger Corman.

Dante paid his dues in the industry by coming up under the tutelage of Corman for several years, working as an editor on several projects as well as co-directingHollywood Boulevard. It was in 1978 that Dante would get his big break. Corman, seeing how Steven Spielberg’sJawswas storming theaters countrywide, set off to produce his own spin on the killer fish subgenre in horror withPiranha, a comedy horror film about a swarm of killer piranhas that pack more than the average bite. Corman knew Dante had the ability to capture that unique blend of comedy and horror that has become a trademark in the director’s filmmaking style.

Since its release in 1978,Piranha’s legacy has continued on, including one sequel as well as two remakes (with one remake sequel coming later this year), and acted as the catalyst for not only Dante’s career (whose other genre contributions includeTwilight Zone: The Movie, Amazon Women on the Moon,andThe Burbs) but for critically-acclaimed writer John Sayles as well, who used the money he earned writingPiranha(as well as other horror classics including Dante’sThe Howling) to fund his award-winning future projects.

Piranhaalso remains one of the most successful releases out of the independently run New World Pictures (which was owned by Corman until 1983), further cementing its place in horror history.

1978- John Carpenter Gives Us a New Face of Evil withHalloween:
It’s hard to imagine audiences had any idea what they were in for when they first experienced John Carpenter’s classic slasher flickHalloweenthat fateful autumn in 1978 when it opened in the Midwest. But it’s safe to say that the audiences and the horror genre all felt the power and horror from what many deem the first modern slasher film.

TheHalloweenstory begins with a screening of Carpenter’s cult classicAssault on Precinct 13at the Milan Film Festival, where the director met Irwin Yablans and Moustapha Akkad, who were anxious to work with the up-and-coming Carpenter on a low-budget horror movie. Originally titledThe Babysitter Murders, Yablans suggested moving this chilling tale of babysitters being slain to the holiday Halloween, and from there Carpenter began working on the script with co-producer Debra Hill.

Halloweenwas shot for $320,000 funded solely by Akkad, and Carpenter and his cast and crew were all pushed to the brink during their vigorous 21-day shoot during the springtime in order to deliver the film on time for the upcoming October release. But their tireless efforts to deliver a quintessential spine-tingler paid off - duringHalloween’s initial theatrical run, it earned $47 million in the U.S. alone, making it the most profitable American independent film of its time.

Halloweenended up being a huge milestone, not only creating one of the biggest franchises in our genre but also serving as an inspiration for the modern slasher films for decades of filmmakers who followed. It also launched Master of Horror Carpenter into a new stratosphere in the industry, giving him the clout to go on to create such masterpieces likeThe Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, ChristineandIn the Mouth of Madnessand created one of the biggest icons of our beloved genre: serial killer Michael Myers.

1979- Aussie Filmmakers Take a Bold Leap withMad Max:
Until 1979 Australian filmmakers weren’t all that widely known around the world, but that all changed when a couple of industry newcomers took a chance in making their gritty dystopic vision of the future,Mad Max.

Before he helmedMad Max, director George Miller was a medical professional working in Australia, but the everyday drama of the emergency room couldn’t keep his full attention so Miller set his sights on becoming a filmmaker. While at a summer film school in 1971, Miller met Byron Kennedy, and an instant bond was forged. Before they took on the pressures of making a feature film, they produced the award-winning short film"Violence in Cinema, Part 1"but struggled for several years until gettingMad Maxoff the ground. It was in 1973 that Kennedy-Miller Films was born and the duo set off to make an action film unlike anything Australian audiences had ever seen the likes of before.

The pair met up with first-time screenwriter James McCausland, and in late 1978 production began onMad Maxfor an estimated $400,000 (AUS) raised independently by Kennedy-Miller Films. The movie shot for twelve weeks around Melbourne, and since there were budget constraints to deal with, the only actor that wore real leather in the film was lead Mel Gibson (who was still an unknown talent here in the US). Many of the cars had to be repainted and reused for multiple set-ups, and often the paint on the cars would still be wet as the film was rolling. Corners even had to be cut during post-production: Kennedy and Miller did all the editing and sound on a homemade editing machine created by Kennedy’s father, who was an engineer.

Mad Maxwas an instantaneous hit in Australia, and once it was released worldwide, it put not only the continent on the proverbial map but newcomer director Miller (who would later win an Academy Award forHappy Feet) as well. The film went on to gross $100 million globally, spawned two sequels, and has influenced filmmakers for generations since its debut.

1980-Friday the 13thBecomes a New Date to Fear:
Until 1980 Sean S. Cunningham was only known in the horror genre for his producing skills. Credited with being the visionary who stood behind an unknown Wes Craven’s disturbing tale of revenge,The Last House on the Left, Cunningham was finally ready to get into the director’s chair after being inspired to do so after seeing John Carpenter’sHalloweenin 1978.

Cunningham hired writer Victor Miller to pen the script (the duo had just collaborated on the dramaManny’s Orphans), and Miller decided to turn the slasher genre on its head a bit: He made the killer not only a woman, but also a mother, which is something that hadn’t been done in this new modern era of horror.

Cunningham madeFriday the 13thfor $550,000, and in an unprecedented deal (at the time), Paramount Pictures nabbed up the project for $1.5 million after one screening, making the major studio one of the first of its time to distribute an independently produced horror film.

There isn’t much left to say aboutFriday the 13thand Cunningham’s influence on modern horror that hasn’t been said a million times over, but perhaps if Cunningham wouldn’t have felt inspired to create his own horrific tale about a group of doomed camp counselors and a deranged mother hellbent on revenge, then we may have never been introduced to one of the biggest icons in pop culture ever: Jason Voorhees. And as fans we would never have enjoyed the countless movies for years to come that clearly took their cues from Cunningham’s work onFriday the 13th.

1981-The Evil DeadRaises the Bar for B-Movies:
The Evil Deadstory really begins back in 1978. A then up-and-coming director named Sam Raimi partnered with his childhood friend, then-unknown actor Bruce Campbell (as well as future Scream Queen Ellen Sandweiss), to create the short film"Within the Woods"as a calling card to help raise funds for their next project -The Evil Dead. Their plan for"Within the Woods"proved successful as Raimi was able to pull together $375,000 from investors based on his work on the short and set off to makeThe Evil Deadwith Campbell, Sandwiess and a whole slew of others on board.

In order to work within his budgetary constraints, Raimi proved his knack for perseverance and shotThe Evil Deadover the course of 1-1/2 years, even using stand-ins (or“Fake Shemps”) when necessary. Once the film was finished, Raimi tried shopping his over-the-top gore-fest around Hollywood but was initially turned down by almost every single distributor in the US at the time due toThe Evil Dead’s graphic violence and terror.

But then he showed the movie at the Cannes Film Festival marketplace, where it was picked up by the European distributor who handledThe Evil Dead’s initial limited theatrical run when it premiered in October 1981. Eventually New Line Cinema stepped in and gave the film a wide release in 1983 after realizing its cult classic potential, and since thenThe Evil Deadhas grossed $29.4 million in theaters. That’s not taking into consideration the money brought in by the various DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the film that have been released since 1999.

Despite the initial negative reviews,The Evil Deadhas gone on to be somewhat of a critical darling these days, being heralded as one of the premiere B-movies ever made. Since makingThe Evil Dead, Raimi has gone on to become a genre hero with films includingEvil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, DarkmanandDrag Me to Hellas well as becoming one of the most sought after directors in Hollywood after his success with helming the originalSpider-Mantrilogy (which has accumulated over $2.6 billion in box office receipts worldwide).

We’ll see you fiends Thursday for our next five milestones!

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Indie Horror Month - 25 Milestones in Independent Horror Filmmaking: Part 2

Yesterday Dread Central brought you the first five milestones in our look back at the 25 milestones that shaped the independent horror landscape over the last 100 years. Today we begin in 1963 with some of the most influential independent genre projects of that era that took some of the biggest gambles in Hollywood and have left an enduring legacy over the last 40-plus years.

Enjoy these five milestones in indie horror, and we’ll see you tomorrow for our next journey through our genre’s rich and storied history.

1963-Blood FeastIntroduces us to Splatter Horror:
Undoubtedly, horror fans owe a huge debt of gratitude to Herschell Gordon Lewis, because had it not been for Lewis’ pushing of the envelope, the horror genre today might be a completely different landscape of films. Lewis had worked as a marketing executive for Paramount Studios for years but he came to realize the profits in independent distributing and started his own company in the 1950s. Not content justcreating an ordinary horror experience for audiences, he set out to makeBlood Feasta blood and gore-filled fest that was beyond shocking to moviegoer sensibilities in 1963.

The best part was that nothing Lewis did was technically against any of the rules set in place from the ratings board, making it an unprecedented film because they had no idea what to do with it. From the success ofBlood Feast, Lewis would go on to complete hisBlood Trilogywith2000 Maniacs!andColor Me Blood Red, ushering in a new standard in horror and for filmmaking in all other genres as well.

Lewis, forever the businessman, still continues working to this day as a producer (at the age of 81 years young) and even recently stepped back behind the camera as director onGrimm Fairy Talesin 2009. But it's his work from almost 50 years ago that has forever endeared Lewis to us as the Godfather of Gore and the countless directors that have worked in horror sinceBlood Feastwill forever owe him a debt of gratitude for the ways he challenged the system with the project.

1968:Night of the Living Deadis Released:
There isn’t much left to be said aboutNight of the Living Deadthat fans don’t know already. Shot on a budget of $114,000 and grossing over $30 million dollars worldwide during its release and subsequent re-releases, George Romero proved to Hollywood that it doesn’t take a star-studded cast to get audiences in their seats. WithNight of the Living Dead, Romero proved that if you give moviegoers a unique concept and compelling storytelling, they’ll show up in droves.

Night of the Living Deadwas a remarkable film for its time, and not just within the context of the horror genre either. The film received a lot of attention (and many times spawned controversy) over the use of nudity (which is subtle compared to today’s standards) as well as for Romero’s casting of African-American actor Duane Jones as the film’s lead, Ben, which was unheard of at the time. Even the film’s climax managed to stir the pot a bit, but Romero remained committed to the social commentary he wanted to make and never changed it despite being urged to do so.

AfterNight of the Living Dead, Romero went on to direct several other“Dead’films, cementing his place in horror history as the“Godfather of the Zombie Movies.” His influence on cinema can be felt far and wide, and to this day Romero continues to work in the entertainment industry, proving that he’s still one of the premier filmmakers in our genre. His last project,Survival of the Dead, was released in 2010.

In 1999Night of the Living Deadwas selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry alongside films such asRaiders of the Lost Ark, Roman HolidayandA Streetcar Named Desire.

1972- Wes Craven Takes Us toThe Last House on the Left:
Before he was scaring generations of horror fans with Freddy Krueger, writer/director Wes Craven was a struggling artist in Hollywood back in the 1970s. It wasn’t until he met producer Sean S. Cunningham that he’d get the break he needed. Cunningham had recently worked on a successful project with the Hallmark Releasing production house, and based on that success, they gave him $90,000 to shoot a horror movie. Little did they know what they were getting into when Craven finished the script forThe Last House on the Left.

Based on the 1960 Swedish filmThe Virgin Springby Ingmar Bergman, Craven’sThe Last House on the Leftwent through several incarnations before it became the cult classic we know today. It may surprise some to know that the 1972 film is what Craven calls a“softer version” of his original script, which had been originally titledNight of Vengeance, so it’s hard to even begin to imagine what would have been in store for audiences if the original was a much more violent version of this already controversial flick which was dubbed a “Video Nasty” by the Department of Public Prosecutions in 1982 and remained banned until sometime in the 1990s.

It’s been noted that these days it’s still hard to find a completely uncut version ofThe Last House on the Leftbecause during its initial release some projectionists were so appalled by its content that they’d actually hack out snippets themselves. The controversy wasn’t enough to keep audiences away - the film grossed $3.1 million during its initial theatrical run and has gone on to become a cult classic and even spawned a successful remake in 2009.

Despite their involvement with the controversialThe Last House on the Left, both Craven and Cunningham have gone on to enjoy successful careers behind some of the genre’s most influential films of the 80s and 90s, and this project helped pave the way for them to do more, both independently as well as through the studio system.

1974- Tobe Hooper UnleashesThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre:
There is no doubt that audiences would not find a more disturbing film in their cineplexes in 1974 than Tobe Hooper’sThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre. This gritty independent masterpiece is remarkable for many reasons, but two important reasons in particular: One, it was the originator of several elements common in the modern slasher subgenre of horror, including the use of power tools as murder weapons; and two, the characterization of the killer as an overbearing faceless figure.

Produced by Hooper for less than $300,000 with a cast of relatively unknown actors,The Texas Chain Saw Massacrecaused quite a stir upon its release that October. The film was banned outright in several countries and later pulled from some theaters after concerns regarding its violent content, but it eventually went on gross over $30 million in the US alone, making it the most successful independent film at that time.

Over timeThe Texas Chain Saw Massacrehas gained a reputation as one of the most influential horror films in modern cinema history with its influence over filmmakers like Ridley Scott, Alexandre Aja, and Rob Zombie only further proving the lasting power behind one of the grittiest and most terrifying social commentaries to ever be released in this, or any other, country.

1977- David Lynch Brings Us a New Cinematic Vision withEraserhead:
Using Surrealism in films wasn’t that unheard of before filmmaker David Lynch got his start, but there is no doubt that he single-handedly changed the face of that type of storytelling (now, most people refer to cinematic surrealism as “Lynchian”) with his inaugural feature film,Eraserhead.

A film six years in the making, Lynch began working on the project after securing a $10,000 grant from the AFI in Los Angeles. With the grant not being sufficient money to complete the entire feature, Lynch remained unflappable in his desire to finishEraserheadso he used money from friends and family and from odd jobs over the years. Lynch finally completed the film in 1977.

Upon its release,Eraserheadpolarized and baffled many critics and audiences but demonstrated that Lynch was both a visionary and a pioneer filmmaker of his time. After its limited theatrical release, the writer/director was hired to helmThe Elephant Man (by none other than Mel Brooks) and received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Director and for Best Adapted Screenplay for his efforts. Lynch went on to garner two more Oscar nominations as well for his directing work on 1986’sBlue Velvetand 2001’s Mulholland Drive.

Had it not been for Lynch’s perseverance to getEraserheadmade, fans may never have enjoyed the resurgence of Dennis Hopper or wondered who killed Laura Palmer. In 2004Eraserheadreceived its highest honor by being selected for preservation in the National Film Registry alongside films likeBen-Hur, Enter the DragonandSchindler’s List.

We’ll see you fiends Wednesday for our next five milestones!

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A Serbian Film Deemed Child Pornography in Barcelona

And the little film designed to shock, offend, put off, and disgust its viewers,A Serbian Filmhas caused a hell of a lot of commotion at the Sitges Film Festival in Barcelona when it screened there. Hold on to your asses, folks!

According to Spanish WebsiteEl Paisfestival director, Angel Sala, has been formally charged with the exhibition of what they're calling child pornography in connection with a screening ofA Serbian Filmat the 2010 edition of the festival.

Interestingly enough the scene everyone's all up in arms about, while no doubt disgusting, takes place off screen and is merely implied. Does that make it right? Either way, like or agree with the film or not, no one was harmed during its making and everything onscreen is fictitious.

Stay tuned for more on this outrageous story soon.

Synopsis:
Milos is a retired porn star who made his name in foreign productions. In order to sustain his impoverished family, he accepts an invitation from an ex-partner and friend, Layla, for one last job. He's supposed to star in an“art porn” movie in which his instincts are more important than knowing what the script is about. The director sounds intelligent and convincing, even charming. But the first day of shooting is a bit strange. Then it gets weirder. When Milos decides to pull out, things go from bad to worse. Andworse. Until they reach the unspeakable.

A beautifully shot and edited film with an excellent sense of timing and narrative economy, it is graced by a superb, droning industrial score. The drama is augmented by incredibly convincing and poignant performances.

A Serbian Film (review here)is firmly rooted in the frustration and despair of living in Serbia today. It reinvents the horror genre to suit its own purpose, turning it into a powerful cinematic scream of anger and frustration. It offers a stylized version of what it feels like to grow up in a country humiliated, denigrated, impoverished, bombed-out, stripped of its territory, labeled genocidal and haunted by the spirits of war crimes both real and constructed. The film is a scream against shady politics, both domestic and foreign; against limitations both internal and external; against being both metaphorically and literally fucked. There are moments where it goes to devastating extremes, but never without purpose or reason. You won't know whether to laugh, cry, stare in disbelief or leave the theatre when faced with the transgressive new links between sex and death that A Serbian Film reveals. This film will fuck your senses and rape your soul. You have been warned.

For more, check out Cult Labs’officialA Serbian Filmwebsite.

A Serbian Film - UK Trailer
Uploaded bydreadcentral. -Full seasons and entire episodes online.

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Paleyfest 2011: True Blood Season 4 Update! Watch a Scene from NEXT Season!

This June"True Blood"returns to HBO, and fans have been endlessly speculating about Season Four: What new creatures will we see? Who gets naked? Will Tara finally stop fucking crying?

Well, Alan Ball and the entire cast crashed this year’s Paleyfest and dropped a few hints at what we can expect.

Appearing live were:

Kevin Alejandro,“Jesus Velasquez”
Marshall Allman,“Tommy Mickens”
Alan Ball, Creator/Executive Producer
Chris Bauer,“Andy Bellefleur“
Kristin Bauer van Straten,“Pam De Beaufort“
Nelsan Ellis,“Lafayette Reynolds”
Ryan Kwanten,“Jason Stackhouse”
Todd Lowe,“Terry Bellefleur”
Joe Manganiello,“Alcide Herveaux”
Stephen Moyer,“Bill Compton”
Anna Paquin,“Sookie Stackhouse”
Jim Parrack,“Hoyt Fortenberry”
Carrie Preston,“Arlene Fowler”
Alexander Skarsgard,“Eric Northman”
Sam Trammell,“Sam Merlotte”
Rutina Wesley,“Tara Thornton”
Deborah Ann Woll,“Jessica Hamby”

Read on for the spoilers!

Season Four will revolve heavily around witchcraft. According to Ball this arc will be kicked off with a Wiccan ceremony that accidentally summons an“older entity” (which we assume isn’t friendly).

Expect to see new werewolves, shape-shifters, and“a new child.” (Arlene's serial killer love-spawn?)

Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi, will return. Ball says the decision not to kill him was very deliberate, and when he comes back,“he’ll be pissed.”

Guest stars this season include Gary Cole and Fiona Shaw as a witch.

Bill and Sookie aren’t going to get back together so easily. Their journey will be long and arduous.

Niall, Sookie’s great-fairy-grandfather from the Charlaine Harris books, will appear in the future (but probably not this season).

Tara and Pam will finally cross paths.

In addition, Ball showed a quick“sneak peek” scene from the upcoming season, and we have it right here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy, fangbangers!

Paleyfest 2011runs through March 17th; keep tabs on things by following thePaley Center on Twitter.

Video courtesy of Annette Slomka.

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Help the Horror Cause - Request FEARnet HD from Your TV Provider

Last October FEARnet HD launched on Verizon FiOS (Channel 197), and as of now they remain the sole outlet for the fledgling network's high definition horror, thriller, and suspense films. But you can help expand its reach.

FEARnet's currently working with all the major TV providers to get FEARnet HD added to their channel lineups, and that's where you, the horror fans, come into play. Just enter your zip code and cable provider info intoFEARnet's Channel Finder application, or call 877-FEAR-247 to request it from your TV provider.

Here are a few highlights of what's coming up this month on FEARnet HD:

The Grudge 3
John Carpenter'sEscape from New York, Eyes of Laura Mars, Ghosts of Mars, andThe Fog
Night of the Living Dead (1990)
Bug
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Hard Candy
Sleepwalkers
Mary Reilly
Tooth and Nail
AnatomyandAnatomy 2
Frontier(s)

Along with the HD component, FEARnet On Demand currently delivers 50 hours a month of movies, originals, and exclusive content to the more than 24 million homes currently receiving it. Online,FEARnet.comis the web's #1 site for genre movie viewing, where users can explore the world of the macabre on a visually arresting video-rich environment packed with movies, interactive community features and fresh original content.

Help the horror cause by taking one minute– because that’s literally all it takes – to get FEARnet HD via the cable provider in your town!

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Death Hunter Werewolves vs. Vampires Slays Its Way Onto DVD

I'd argue a more appropriate title would beDeath Hunter: Some Guy Bitten By A Werewolf Partially Cured By An Antidote That Leaves Him With All The Abilities Of A Lycan Without Actually Transforming Into One Begins Running Around Looking Like A Chemo Patient Blade But Barely Uses His Lycan Powers Vs. Werewolves& Vampires, but that's just me.

Death Hunter: Werewolves vs. Vampiresis an American movie I had never heard of when I stumbled upon a DVD listing on a Thai website I scour every so often. At the time it didn't even have an IMDB listing. It still doesn't have one. Needless to say I purchased a cheap import and reviewed it over a year ago. As you can read for yourself, I was less than impressed.

Now you'll get your chance this May to tell me if you agree or disagree with my assessment when MTI Home Video releaseDeath Hunter: Werewolves vs. Vampiresto DVD on May 24th. DVD features include closed captioning, option Spanish subtitles, 16:9 widescreen format, 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, deleted scenes, and trailers.

When his wife is abducted by a group of blood-thirsty Vampires, John Croix is left to die in a forgotten region of the desert. It is here where an unspeakable evil exists. Now, by no choice of his own, Croix will come face-to-face with the most terrifying creatures of the night. Still a man, but possessing all the strength and power of a werewolf when the moon is out, Croix becomes a reluctant hero for mankind when he learns that his wife may still be alive. Croix sets out on a mission to rescue his wife - venturing deeper and deeper into the Vampire's lair- in his quest to save her before she is lost to the world of the undead forever.

Death Hunter: Werewolves vs. Vampiresis directed by Dustin Rikert (Alien Invasion Arizona) and stars Sam McConkey, Paulino Hemmer, Mike Lawler, and Shari Weidmann, all of whom appear in Rikert's next film:Easy Rider: The Ride Back. You read that correctly. Below you'll find the trailer for this low budget action-horror flick directed by the same guy who has since gone on to make anEasy Riderprequel.

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Horror at the Oscars 2011 - Part Two

Rick Baker. Friend of apes. Maker of monsters. Seven time Oscar winner. And that lucky number seven was forThe Wolfman, shared with fellow EFX maestro Dave Elsey. Their on-stage speech was great, but the extended Thank You Cam was even better. Both Baker and Elsey thanked Jack Pierce and Dick Smith for inspiring them. Though there were grumblings online that the Academy clip showed the CG transformation rather then the make-up. It is always a treat to see our own getting the gold.

In the best original music category, Trent Reznor won forThe Social Network. But who could forget his rivethead contributions toClass of 1999, Se7en, andTetsuo: The Bullet Man? And Danny Boyle’s nominated127 Hoursdidn’t win for Best Picture, but we will always love him “best” for his bloody crazies in the 28 Days series.

Rounding out the highlights in horror cred are nods toJason X, Wishmaster, Brainscan, The DeepandA Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child. But a special silver skull goes out toThe Kids Are All Right’s Jeffrey Levy-Hinte who produced one of the greatest horror films of the past decade, Larry Fessenden’sWendigo. I hope one day to see Larry grace the stage of the Oscars to get one of his own. I know he can do it, and I hope it is for a genre film.

And now for Part 2 of Horror at the Oscars ... enjoy the show and remember: you don’t have to go to Texas for a chainsaw massacre.

Please Note:This isNOTgoing to be an all-inclusive list of every genre project these stars have worked on. Just some highlights. Feel free to add your own highlights for them in our comments section below.

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Best Make-up FX

WINNER:
Rick BakerThe Wolfman
Horror cred:An American Werewolf in London, Cursed, Hellboy, The Haunted Mansion, The Ring, Ghosts, The Frighteners, Wolf, Body Bags, Ratboy, Thriller, Videodrome, The Funhouse, The Howling, It Lives Again, The Fury, King Kong, Squirm, Schlock, Modern Vampires, The Food of the Gods, The Exorcist, The Thing with Two Heads, The Devil's Advocate, It’s Alive,“Werewolf"

Dave ElseyThe Wolfman
Horror cred:Death Machine, Waxworks, Hellraiser, Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Living Doll, Alien³, Candyman

NOMINATED:
Adrien Morot,Barney's Version

Horror cred:A Flesh Offering, Carny, Humans, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Decoys 2: Alien Seduction, The Woods, The Covenant, Decoys, Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain, Relative Fear, Brainscan, Stalked, Slashers, Species II, Breeders, Screamers,“The Hunger”

Edouard F. Henriques,The Way Back
Horror cred:The Cell, The Vanishing, Cat People, Dead& Buried, Prophecy, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Deep

Gregory Funk
Horror cred:Blade II, Trauma, Heartstopper, Night of the Living Dead (1990), Wishmaster, Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh, Phantoms,“ X-Files”

Yolanda Toussieng
Horror cred:Flatliners, Beetlejuice

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

WINNER:The Social Network, Trent Reznor
Horror cred:Tetsuo: The Bullet Man, Dr. Psycho - Die Bösen, die Bullen, meine Frau und ich, The Hitcher, Doom, Constantine, Resident Evil, se7en, Class of 1999

Atticus Ross
(If you can call it that) Horror cred:Twilight

NOMINATED:

Inception, Hans Zimmer
Horror cred:The Ring, Paperhouse, Jason X, Scream 2

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

WINNER: We Belong Together fromToy Story 3, Randy Newman
Horror cred:April Fool's Day

NOMINATED:

I See the Light fromTangled, Alan Menken
Horror cred:Little Shop of Horrors

Best Motion Picture of the Year

WINNER:The King's Speech, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin

NOMINATED:

Black Swan
Mike Medavoy
Horror cred:Black Swan, Shutter Island

Brian Oliver
Horror cred:Black Swan

Scott Franklin
Horror cred:Black Swan

The Kids Are All Right, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte
Horror cred:Wendigo

127 Hours, Christian Colson
Horror cred:The Descent, The Descent: Part 2

Danny Boyle
Horror cred:Sunshine, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later

The Social Network, Scott Rudin
Horror cred:The Village, Addams Family Values, The Addams Family, Flatliners

Michael De Luca
Horror cred:Drive Angry 3D, Blade 2, Lost Souls, Blade, Dark City, In the Mouth of Maddness, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, The Lawnmower Man (short),“Freddy's Nightmares”

True Grit, Scott Rudin
Horror cred:The Village, Addams Family Values, The Addams Family, Flatliners

Joel Coen
Horror cred:The Evil Dead

Winter's Bone, Anne Rosellini
Horror cred:Cthulhu

Alix Madigan-Yorkin
Horror cred:Case 39

Best Short Film, Live Action

WINNER:God of Love, Luke Matheny

NOMINATED:

The Confession, Tanel Toom
Horror cred:The Second Coming

Na Wewe, Ivan Goldschmidt
Horror cred:Mascara

Wish 143, Samantha Waite
Horror cred:Hello Darkness

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Look for Part Three soon!

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Insanity Lives Beyond The Corridor

There's no greater pain than the loss of a loved one. Though sometimes, speaking as a guy, getting into a car too fast and accidentally sitting on your own nuts is a close second sting-wise. In any event, yet another tale of a getaway gone awry has come our way and we've got artwork, and trailer, and more.

Below you'll find the first word on Evan Kelly's Canadian horror flickThe Corridorwhich stars Stephen Chambers, James Gilbert, David Patrick Flemming, Matthew Amyotte, and Glen Matthews. Dig on all the goods we've assembled for you and for more dig on the officialThe CorridorwebsiteandThe CorridorFacebook page.

Synopsis
Tyler Crawley needs his friends, now more than ever. Recovering from mental stress in the wake of his mom's death, Tyler has been counting on a weekend with the guys to bring him back to normal. For Tyler's sake his old buddies rally themselves, though the"glue"which keeps them together has weakened with the passing of recent years -- a natural enough occurrence.

But with the introduction of a single unnatural occurance -- the corridor itself -- the knots in these male bonds will come loose with a terrifying speed. Both a fantastical passageway to somewhere and a passageway into the mind of the male animal, the corridor will lead Tyler and his friends to the very edge of sanity and beyond...

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Exclusive: Stuart Gordon Talks Re-Animator– The Musical, The Men, and More at Screamfest LA Mixer

While co-hosting (with festival head Rachel Belofsky and Jonna Jackson) last week’s Screamfest LA mixer at Te’Kila and 504 on Hollywood Boulevard (in attendance were horror movers and shakers John Skipp, F. Javier Gutiérrez, Zoran Popovic, Stephen Goldmann, John Michael Elfers, Drina Durazo and more), I caught up with Re-animator filmmaker Stuart Gordon in order to discusshis current projects, as well as the currently previewing playRe-animator– The Musical.

Opening on March 5th at the Steve Allen Theatre in Hollywood, CA, the stage musical incarnation of Gordon’s 1985 filmic hit (both which center around Dr. Herbert West, a medical student obsessed with reanimating the dead) runs Friday through Saturday nights through March 27, and Gordon told us of the play over a cocktail amid the boisterous din, “Audiences seem to really like it, which is great! We’re previewing all weekend, and those nights are already sold out, which is a wonderful thing.”

In regards to the cast ofRe-animator– The Musical, “George Wendt is playing Dean Halsey,” said Gordon, “and Chris McKenna is playing Dan Cain, and we have this wonderful guy, sort of a discovery, Graham Skipper who is playing Herbert West, and he’s amazing.” The cast is rounded out by Jesse Merlin, Rachel Avery, Mark Beltzman, Cynthia Carle, Brian Gillespie and Liesel Hanson.
While the musical aspect is certainly a departure from the source material, the production does remain loyal not only to the black humor evident in the Re-animator film, but also the gratuitous gore, and audiences can expect just that, with the first three rows of the theatre designated a‘splash zone.’

“There’s a lot of liquid flying through the air,” said Gordon of the play’s copious gore. “It’s the original group from the film providing the effects. Tony Doublin, John Naulin and John Beuchler all came back to do there thing, and I think it’s even better than it was in the film.”

Reflecting on the longevity ofRe-Animatora quarter century after its release and its current sonorous metamorphosis,“It’s amazing that people are still enjoying the film,” said Gordon, “and I think doing it as a musical kind of puts a whole new spin on it, and the guy who wrote the songs, a fellow named Mark Nutter, is inspired. I mean his stuff is kind of twisted and cheerful at the same time. He sort of reminds me of Tom Lehrer(writers note:an American songwriter known for his lyrical black humor, evidenced in his song‘Poisoning Pigeons in the Park’, among others),who was this guy who wrote all of these weird songs in the 1950’s, and he kind of inspired me and gave me that thought that one could do a horror musical, and I think Nutter was the guy to write the songs.”

Regarding the filmmaker’s future hopes forRe-Animator - The Musical,“Our hope is to ultimately take it to New York,” he effused. “I don’t know if it’s a Broadway show, but it’s certainly an Off-Broadway show. We haven’t got any reviews yet, since it hasn’t officially opened, but it has been blogged about, and one of the blogs said that they thought the play was better than the movie, which I thought was kind of cool. Imean, there’s nothing like it. The play happens right in front of you. People are excited about 3-D, but this is 4-D! This is reality, and you are breathing the same air, you are right there, and having Re-animator happening right in your face, is quite an experience. I do have to say our castis amazing. They make you believe that all sorts of carnage is taking place.”

As for what cinematically is exciting the director at present (who previously helmedDagon, Castle Freakand episodes of the series"Masters of Horror", among others ),“I’m working on a couple of projects,” revealed Gordon. “One of them is with Brian Yuzna, who produced Re-animator. It’s from a Dan O’Bannon script, the guy who wrote Alien and Total Recall, and who unfortunately passed away last year. This is a script of his though that Brian and I have been wanting to do for a long time, called The Men. The basic idea of it is that Earth was taken over by aliens about a half million years ago, and I can’t give too much away, but we are in early pre-production on it, and are just starting to cast it. We are working with Robbie Little and The Little Film Company, and they are bringing in the financing.”

“The other project I’m working on is with Ed Pressman that I’ll be directing, and it’s called Mud Duck, and was written by John Strysik, the guy who wrote Stuck, the last film I directed. Like Stuck, it’s based on a true story, and is about a massacre that took place in Wisconsin about five years ago. I wouldn’t call it a horror film, although it is horrifying, but I guess it’s like an action movie, really, because it’s about a shoot-out that took place in a morgue.”

The conversation turned briefly then to the challenges which face filmmakers in funding projects given the standing economic downturn, and Gordon waxed,“These are rough times. People call it a‘recession’ but I really think it’s a depression, much like the 1930’s. It’s one of the reasons though that I like doing theatre, because you don’t need a million dollars to do it. You can kind of make it happen with very little money. A couple of years ago I did a project with Jeffrey Combs called Nevermore where he played Edgar Alan Poe, and that show is now touring all over the country, and I’ve had a great time with it.”

To purchase tickets to Re-animator– The Musical, visit the Steve Allen Theatre onlinehere, and stay up to date on all things Screamfest LA (the film fest runs this year at Hollywood and Highland from October 14 through the 23rd)here.

"Bill Millsap and Stephen Goldmann"

"John Skipp"

"Frank Ippolito"

"Craig Ouellette, Rachel Belofsky and Javier Gutierrez"

"Drina Durazo and Mayra Rodriguez"

"Stuart Gordon and Rachel Belofsky"

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Dread Central Wants YOU to Drive Angry on Us!

We hear you loud and clear. You don't have the extra cash to shell out to go to the movies. Maybe you're tired of spending higher admission prices for 3D films. Just can't blame you there. But most of us here at DC stand behindDrive Angry(review here), and we think if you took the time to go you probably will too. As a result we're once again putting our money where our mouths are.

All week long STARTING MONDAY FEBRUARY 28th at 5:00 PM PST, we'll be giving away gift cards good for two tickets each to go and seeDrive Angry 3Don us. All you have to do to win one is simple. Just Tweet and ReTweet the following:

Win 2 pairs of #DriveAngry tix 2day at 5p PT. Follow@dreadcentraland ReTweet this.

If you don't have aTwitteraccount, just hit that link and sign up. It takes two seconds. Winners will be chosen at random. Once you win, you'll be e-mailed the gift card code to purchase your tickets online.

Each day all week until Friday we'll be giving away the goods. Keep retweeting for your chance to win.

Get your motors running!

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Black Swan Sweeps Up Four Major Film Independent Spirit Awards

Now this is some award show news we are definitely happy to report!Black Swantook home four major prizes from the 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Fox Searchlight'sBlack Swanwon awards for best picture, best actress for Natalie Portman, best director for Darren Aronofsky, and best cinematography for Matthew Libatique. Aronofsky said he has been blessed with fearless actors in all of his films and had some special praise for his star:"To have this incredible performer give you everything she's got and then train for a year. I'll always be in debt to Miss Natalie Portman."

Other winners include James Franco for best actor in127 HoursandExit Through the Gift Shopfor best documentary. Sadly, the elusive Banksy was a no-show. For the full list of winners visit theofficial Spirit Awards website.

Official Synopsis:
Set in the world of New York City ballet, BLACK SWAN stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a featured dancer who finds herself locked in a web of competitive intrigue with a new rival at the company (Mila Kunis). A Fox Searchlight Pictures release by visionary director Darren Aronofsky (THE WRESTLER), BLACK SWAN takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect. The script was written by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin.

BLACK SWAN follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey), who zealously supports her daughter's professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly, but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

Black Swan - Trailer
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Close to a Dozen Stills from Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night

We've been on the fence aboutParanormal Activity: Tokyo Night, and the new batch of stills that has been released for the film doesn't tell us a whole lot, which makes us all the more anxious to hear some reviews from our UK friends when the sequel lands onto DVD on March 7th courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment. We're counting on you Brits!

After the original PARANORMAL ACTIVITY shocked, scared and downright terrified people the world over, grossing over $100 million in the US and£10 million in the UK along the way, Japanese horror aficionado Toshikazu Nagae, with additional input from the original US producers, set out to make an even more shocking sequel.

As is the tradition of US filmmakers re-working Japanese horror classics to bring them to a wider audience, Toshikazu Nagae has done just the opposite by taking the bones of Oren Peli’s US horror spectacle and molding it into his own Japanese sequel with two bedrooms… and twice the fear!

Synopsis
The Yamano family lives in a remote area of Tokyo, Japan. With their father away on business, 19-year-old Koichi is left to look after his wheelchair-bound sister, Haruka, who has returned to Japan early after surviving a car accident whilst traveling in America.

Soon after Haruka’s return from the States, strange and unexplainable things start to happen in the Yamano home.

As the incidents continue to grow increasingly stranger and more severe, Koichi persuades his sister to set up a video camera to try and capture them on film. What Koichi discovers is beyond anything he could have ever imagined, and as the situations intensify, a terrible fact is revealed ...

Check out the new images below courtesy ofUpcoming Horror Movies, and let us know what you think!

Paranormal Activity: Tokyo Night - Trailer
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Dahmer vs. Gacy Bringing Their Mayhem to Blu-ray and DVD

Freddy vs. Jason.King Kong vs. Godzilla.Alien vs. Predator.Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus. We've seen many famous fiends square off on film, but will any of those other great all-time match-ups compare toDahmer vs. Gacy? The world will finally find out when the award-winning (yes, award-winning!) film hits Blu-ray and DVD shelves in May.

The serial killer smackdown produced and directed by Ford Austin from a script by Chris Watson and Andrew Rausch starring Austin as Jeffrey Dahmer and Randal Malone as John Wayne Gacy has already garnered"Outstanding Cast Performance"at the Action on Film International Film Festival in Pasadena, California, and was voted"Audience Choice Award"winner at the Bare Bones Independent Film Fest in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

A secret government lab has been trying to create the ultimate killer using the DNA of infamous killers Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy, but there's one big problem: They've escaped! Bloody mayhem stretches across the United States as they go on the ultimate killing spree. Trying to stop the maniacal madness is Ringo, a hick warrior being trained by God, using only a shotgun and a bottle of whiskey. In his road trip to hell, he must first fight off his own demons, not to mention an army of Japanese ninjas! It all leads up to the ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN!

Harland Williams (Half Baked,Rocket Man), Art LaFleur (Trancers,The Blob), Steven Adler of Guns 'N Roses, Ethan Phillips ("Star Trek: Voyager",The Island), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Jerry Maren (The Wizard of Oz,"Lidsville"), and Irwin Keyes (Intolerable Cruelty,House of 1000 Corpses) also show up before the madness reaches a violent conclusion in which only one psychopath can stand tall.

Virgil Films is bringing this outrageous battle of real-life madmen to DVD and Blu-ray on May 10th. Are you game for this mixture of horror, comedy, and bad taste? One look at the film's trailer should be all it takes for you to decide ifDahmer vs. Gacyis up your alley.

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Exclusive Set Visit and First Images: Chris Ackerman's Hell's Belles

“The idea came to me a few years ago when I began writing a feature horror/comedy around a young female who drives a hearse,” writer, producer and director Chris Ackerman told Dread last Saturday night on the set of his then-shooting short film,Hell’s Belles.“The main character,‘Adria Blackmoor’, lives a sheltered life as a morgue technician at her grandfather’s cemetery when unfortunately the gates of hell open, and she’s forced to battle a strange assortment of creatures to save her town.”

Hollywood being Hollywood however, burgeoning filmmakers are keenly aware of the distinct lack of imagination most suits have during the pitching process (a manuscript seldom cuts it any longer in communicating one’s vision), so Ackerman, who previously served as an associate producer on Yossi Sasson’s 2008 horror featureDead and Gone, took it upon himself to helm a shortened version of his script, which after seven months of pre-production is intended to serve not only as a sinister horror romp, but also as his bloody, filmic calling card.

“I decided to make Hell’s Belles to help promote the eventual feature and my vision as a director,” Ackerman continued from the frigid set (the production at the time was filming for two, twelve hour nights at high elevation in Fillmore, CA, and the temperature was dipping into the low 20’s).“It could be seen as a sequel to my feature-length idea, where Adria Blackmoor and her best friend Helena now moonlight as occult specialists who help people rid themselves of the creatures that randomly break through into this realm.”

Of his inspiration,“I’ve always loved the great creature invasion horror/comedies like Gremlins, Ghostbusters, Critters, and Monster Squad, so I decided I wanted to make my own version of that type of scenario, mixed with my twisted sense of humor.”

Joining Ackerman in this endeavor are producer Drina Durazo and producer/assistant director Tommy Bernhard, along with cinematographer Cameron Duncan, production designer Matthew Trotter (both who collaborated onDead and Gone) and SPX tech and costumer Dan Crawley (The Avengers), with makeup assist by Jacky Belle (Hinnon Valley), all who at the time were bundled and working diligently given the rather nasty weather and time constraints of Ackerman’s ambitious, and inclimate shoot.

“I checked the Farmer’s Almanac and found that it had only rained a total of 1/2 inch in the past ten years here during this month,” bemoaned Ackerman of the deluge which pounded upon the roof of the barn (which served as the location for the majority ofHell’s Belles’ narrative), as Durazo prepped a full-body harness stunt gag mere feet away. “The actors have it tough because their characters are dressed in tank tops and dresses, but no one is complaining! The propane camping heater was the best thing we bought for the set.”

When questioned regarding whether he’s making his days, Ackerman replied, “Pulling of such an ambitious production with this budget and this short shooting schedule was always a concern, but I’m the kind of person that has such a blind sense of ambition that at times I feel that I can make anything happen. It’s also helping immensely to have such extremely talented friends that believed in the project. Almost everyone on the crew is a friend of mine who I’ve been working with foryears, and we all work on each other’s projects. Tommy (Bernard) and I are both horror fanatics and have made a few shorts together over the past ten years, and he’s the glue that’s keeping the whole production together. This is Drina’s first film and she’s rocking it like an experiencedpro. Cameron Duncan and I have been working together since film school, but this is the first time we’ve worked as cinematographer and director, and he’s just elevated the photography way beyond what I had envisioned.”

As for the cast ofHell’s Belles, Ackerman secured the acting talents of Ariel Teal Toombs (Psycho Sleepover) as Adria Blackmoor, the sexy and feisty Mayra Rodriguez, Trista Robinson (The Human Race) Paul Gebeau, James Cavlo, Buffy Dakan and Bonjah (who appears as the rather sexually deviant hell-spawn‘Beleth’).

“I worked with Ariel’s father on a few projects and ran into them a year before at a horror convention,” said Ackerman of his lead’s casting. “She seemed like the type of person I wanted to work with so kept her in mind. I had only seen her demo reel and in a short film when I gave her the role in Hell’s Belles without an audition. It was one of those miracles where she was just a perfect fit. Ariel is bursting with natural dramatic skill, quick wit and excellent comedic timing.”

A heroine is of course only as effective as her nemesis, so we asked Ackerman about his casting of Bonjah as the demon protagonist (who at the time was being outfitted with prosthetics by Crawley in the only warm spot on set - and unsurprisingly given the cold, everyone’s favorite destination - the toasty RV/makeup studio).

“I worked with Bonjah on an upcoming web show called"Video Game Reunion"where he plays the Nintendo character‘Bowser’,” communicated Ackerman. “His portrayal of Beleth is insane. He’s brought so much to the character while being under such heavy prosthetic, and it’s been a freaky performance mixed with a sick sense of humor, which is exactly what I wanted.”

As for what scripted nefarious activities the demon Beleth plans for Ariel, Ackerman says,“He’s going to take her to hell and use her as a sex slave, and when he’s done with her he’s going to chop off her head, bath in her blood and return the headless corpse here.”

“I had previously worked with our SFX Supervisor Dan (Crawley) on Dead and Gone,” Ackerman said as we made our way to the RV (and the heater). “His talent is abundant. We couldn’t afford to hire a full team to mold and sculpt a demon head so we found a pre-formed prosthetic and he’s been applying it and painting it masterfully. He also brought in another Dead and Gone alumnus, FX technician Chris Hampton, who these days is working on (the series)"True Blood".”

Sure enough, amidst cramped quarters and a bustle of activity (Belle was working diligently to reverse the unfortunate effects of the downpour on the cast’s hair and makeup), Crawley and Hampton were halfway through their physical transformation of Bonjah’s visage, their air brushes in full effect.

Catching up with Ackerman a day following wrap, the exhausted filmmaker told us ofHell’s Belles, “Besides the weather, the shoot went incredibly smooth, even though during the last two weeks before the shoot we lost four of our original actors and half of our budget. Last night we had around eight pages of stunts, demon prosthetics, vomit, blood, pyrotechnics and the blocking offive characters to do. Somehow we pulled it all off without stressing too much. I had to cut or tweak a few bits because the sun was rising but besides that we accomplished what I had envisioned. Without the last minute additions and my girlfriend Drina who stepped in to produce and to help withthe budget, we wouldn’t have made it.”

“Once Hell’s Belles is finished we will be using it to shop around my feature film script of the same name,” concluded Ackerman. “I have a trilogy in mind for Adria Blackmoor. I want to present something fresh to the world with this intelligent, sexy, and tough female character - a strange combination of monster movie, indie comedy, gross-out exploitation, social satire, and balls-out action!”

Dig on the first officialHell’s Bellesproduction stills and more below, and check outAckerman's official site herefor more info.

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Charisma Carpenter Engaged in a Deadly Sibling Rivalry

Know what's hotter than one Charisma Carpenter? Two Charisma Carpenters! That's exactly what we're gonna get too when her latest filmDeadly Sibling Rivalrycomes out to play!

Our friends over atMovie Holeshed some light on a project teased onCarpenter's Twitter page, calledDeadly Sibling Rivalry.

In the film Carpenter will play twins, one normal and one well ... not so much. The flick, which is shooting in L.A, is directed by Hanelle Culpepper (Within) and written by Steve Peterson and John Murlowski.

Not sure how Dread worthy this will be just yet but we'll keep an eye on things for ya! In the interim, dig on the plot crunch below and then drool over an image featuring not one, not two, but three Charisma Carpenters!

Synopsis
Identical twins Janna and Callie have always had a sibling rivalry competing for their father’s love. After a horrific climbing accident kills their father, the twins grow further apart and carry out their lives in the wake of the tragedy. Janna gets married and has a daughter while Callie floats from one job to the next, getting tangled in illegal dealings. After a near fatal crash putsJanna into a coma, Callie secretly steals her sister’s identity in an attempt to start over with a new life and keep her sister out of her way. Callie stops at nothing to seek revenge on a sister that has always had the seemingly better life.

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Teaser Trailer Debut - Jurassic Park: The Game

Video games and dinosaurs should be a no-brainer of a combination. The only problem? Despite massive leaps in technology no one has really nailed down the formula and made a game featuring these real life beasts of any value. Hopefully that will change this April as Telltale Games is getting set to releaseJurassic Park: The Game.

I know. Movie based game. Oh, and what's this? A $34.99 price tag? Talk about red flags, huh? Normally we'd be completely discounting this title but developer Telltale Games have proved to be pretty slick game wise, and that's something that we cannot ignore.

In this latest return to Isla Sorna gamers will be able to take part in an all-new adventure in the events following the first film. look for the game in April on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Mac.

Jurassic Park: The Game - Teaser Trailer
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Terror Tweets: Updates on Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and Dibbuk Box

A couple of tidbits of information hit Twitter today regarding two projects we've been keeping our eyes on: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's rip-roaring 3D sequelGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeanceand Danish director Ole Bornedal'sDibbuk Box, which has a script by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White that was inspired by true events.

Check out what@neveldinetaylorand@kyrasedgwick(one of the stars ofDibbuk Box, produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert via their Ghost House Pictures shingle) had to say, and keep it here for more on both films soon!

FromNeveldine/Taylor:

"the great nic cage wrapped on GRSOV"- referring of course to star Nicolas Cage, who is done for now with shooting forGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which has taken place in Romania and Turkey.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeancealso stars Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth, Violante Placido and Ciaran Hinds. The movie finds Johnny Blaze, aka Ghost Rider (Cage), hiding out in remote Eastern Europe and struggling to repress his curse. Blaze is recruited by a sect to take on the devil (Hinds), who wants to take over his mortal son’s body on the boy’s birthday. Its scheduled release date is February 17, 2012.

Synopsis
It has been several years since making a deal with the Devil and Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage), living in self-imposed isolation, finds himself as the only person who can help save 10-year-old Danny– and ultimately the world – thanks to his unwanted and uncontrollable power – his ability to transform into the hell-on-wheels monster known as The Ghost Rider.

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FromKyra Sedgwick:

"Wow! It's been forever since I checked in! I'm in Vancouver shooting a movie with Jeffery Dean Morgan and a great cast including Matisyahu!"

"The name of the movie (right now at least) is The Dibbuk Box. Out halloweeen.."

Matisyahu!?! Talk about your inspired casting. No word yet on exactly whom the Hasidic Jewish reggae musician will be portraying, but as soon as we hear more, we'll pass it on.

Synopsis
Kyra Sedgwick plays a mom whose youngest child becomes strangely attached to an antique wooden box purchased at a yard sale. The girl's behavior becomes erratic, and her divorced parents (Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan) get the carvings on the box deciphered and find the box contains a spirit bent on devouring its human host.

Dibbuk Boxis set for an October 28th theatrical release.

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Tyler Mane Stars in New Webseries Chopper

Ever since he whipped ass in Rob Zombie'sHalloweenmovies (say what you want about them, it doesn't change the fact that Mane was a good Myers) we've been wondering just when we'd be seeing Tyler Mane back doing what he does best ... causing violent mayhem. That time has come.

From the Press Release
DILEMMA, a Los Angeles based Branded Entertainment and Marketing Communications Agency, has officially launched an ambitious online horror experience‘Chopper’ today with the release of the project’s teaser trailer featuring international horror icon Tyler Mane (Halloween 1,2). Based on the upcoming comic written by Martin Shapiro, Chopper is essentially a contemporary spin on the timeless Sleepy Hollow mythology with storylines revolving around a headless outlaw biker seeking vengeance in the afterlife by killing mortal sinners.

Chopper marks the first project moving into production from a scheduled slate of branded programming that DILEMMA will distribute across a variety of traditional and non-traditional channels in 2011.

The company has already lined up a number of sponsors eager to support the development of branded content that will resonate authentically with today’s digitally connected consumer. Mr. Christofilis added,"The advertising landscape is experiencing a seismic shift toward brands engaging consumers on a deeper level by actually entertaining them with premium, social content versus interrupting them with inferior ads that simply get ignored.”

For Chopper, Southern California based action sports apparel brand Sullen immediately recognized the potential for the horror and heavy metal music related storylines to strike a chord with their key, young male demographic and became a supporter early in the process. Sullen Clothing's co-founder, Jeremy Hanna, added"We pride ourselves on being an innovative, art-driven company and J.C. laid out a clear vision of how Chopper's creative execution will enable Sullen to authentically reinforce our edgy brand values with our existing fans, while driving awareness of our products with a new consumer base as well.

The teaser trailer pulls no punches in delivering the mayhem and gore true horror fans come to expect with such quality entertainment. DILEMMA tapped a far-reaching network of Hollywood veterans to execute the concept with the highest possible level of craftsmanship and production value despite the challenges of lower budgets typically associated with online content.

The project’s VFX team recently completed work on ‘The Green Hornet’ and the practical FX team lead, Jeff Farley, has over 30 years experience delivering effects for such horror classics as “The Blob’ and ‘Pet Semetary.’

Mr. Christofilis commented,"My intent was to showcase that Hollywood-level production value is truly possible in the online realm and we can reach vast online communities that justify increased budgets in this space. Traditional talent and producers are acknowledging the fact that the long-promised potential of so-called‘convergent’ media is finally being achieved and they would be wise to step up their involvement in fast evolving mediums such as online and mobile. Our star, Tyler Mane, is famous for playing roles in traditional fare such as Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s last two ‘Halloween’ films and Sabertooth in ‘Xmen,’ yet he was able to envision how online will be instrumental in diversifying his stature in the industry. He was bold enough to embrace this medium as the future.”

On the digital front, DILEMMA has recently expanded Chopper's creative team to include contributions from Transmedia Producer, Nina Bargiel. In addition to television writing credits on Disney's 'Lizzie McGuire,' Nina co-created last year's hit MTV webseries 'Valemont.'

Check out the teaser and early artwork below!

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Rest in Peace - Len Lesser

Another one of television's greatest character actors has been claimed and is no longer with us. While today's generation may know him primarily as Seinfeld's Uncle Leo, generations of fans will remember him from so much more.

According toThe Hollywood ReporterLen Lesser died Wednesday in Burbank of pneumonia related to cancer. He was 88.

Over his incredible six decade career, which amounts to more than 500 appearances on film, television and the stage, Len has appeared on many staples of genre television including"The Ghost Busters","The Munsters","The Outer Limits","Alfred Hitchcock Presents","Land of the Giants","Kolchak: The Night Stalker", and many many more.

At this time we here at Dread Central would like to take a moment to offer our sincerest condolences to Lesser's friends, family, and constituents. Thank you for your dedication to the entertainment industry and for all the laughs and scares you provided along your very long road.

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New Wicker Tree Imagery to Get the Fires Going

We've just dug our claws into some new imagery fromRobin Hardy's long awaited sequel toThe Wicker Man, to go along with the recently released trailer. Dig 'em before they burn away!

The Wicker Treereunites the director with legendary actor Christopher Lee for a story"in the style of"the 1973 film. Keep in mind this is NOT a direct sequel, but it does explore similar themes.

The plot for the film centers on Beth and Steve, a gospel singer and her cowboy boyfriend, both Christian members of a no-sex-before-marriage pact they call 'the silver ring thing', who leave Texas to preach door-to-door in Scotland. When, after initial abuse, they are welcomed with joy and elation to Tressock, the border fiefdom of the sinister Lachlan Morrison, they assume their hosts want to simply hear more about Jesus. How innocent and wrong they are.

Click on the one-sheet below for the officialThe Wicker Treewebsite!

The Wicker Tree - Trailer
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The Wicker Tree - Teaser Trailer
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