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1989 was the year director J.R. Bookwalter’s debut feature, the zombie epic The Dead Next Door (which Sam Raimi not-so-secretly had a hand in), made its way out into the world – and it also happens be the year when his follow-up feature, the “dark, splatter-drenched” oddball comic book homage Robot Ninja (watch it Here) was released. Thirty-five years later, Robot Ninja has now received the novelization treatment and the result, Robot Ninja: The Official Novelization by Damien Casey, is now available from Encyclopocalypse Publications! Copies can be purchased at This Link.

Shot in Ohio for $15,000, with David DeCoteau credited as an executive producer, Robot Ninja features cameos by Burt Ward (best known for playing Robin in the ’60s Batman TV series) and legendary scream queen Linnea Quigley and has the following synopsis: Leonard Miller (Michael Todd) is a frustrated artist. His publisher (Burt Ward) and his agent (Mike Shea) are...

Exclusive: Amazon MGM Studios has put a feature rendition of Amy Poeppel’s novel The Sweet Spot into development with Kissing Jessica Stein‘s Jennifer Westfeldt adapting and set to co-star in the female-driven ensemble.

Westfeldt will produce alongside Laura Lewis of Rebelle Media.

The Sweet Spot is a multi-generational, female-driven screwball comedy set in New York City around the chaos of the holiday season. It explores found family, fresh starts, second chances, unlikely alliances, revenge, redemption, unexpected romance, and the ripple effect of seemingly small actions leading to epic consequences in the lives of people you haven’t even met … yet.

Westfeldt previously wrote the romantic comedy The Idea of You for the studio with its filmmaker Michael Showalter. The movie, which starred Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine and world premiered at SXSW, repped Amazon MGM’s biggest romantic comedy debut ever, drawing nearly 50 million global Prime Video viewers in its first two weeks.

Intro: What is the first movie that comes to mind when you hear the name Elisabeth Shue? Do you think of her as the Karate Kid’s love interest? The babysitter who went on an adventure through downtown Chicago? The Oscar-nominated prostitute from Leaving Las Vegas? Chances are, the movie that comes to mind is not Link. A horror movie where Shue shares the screen with a homicidal orangutan that’s passed off as being a chimp. Link isn’t very well known, but it should be. If you haven’t seen it, it’s the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw.

Creators / Cast: Link (watch it Here) was directed by Alfred Hitchcock devotee Richard Franklin, an Australian filmmaker who, for a while, looked like he could be one of the best sources for new Hitchcockian thrillers once the Master of Suspense had passed away. Franklin had even been friends with Hitchcock,...

Exclusive: Linden Productions has hired veteran producer and executive Deanna Barillari as SVP of Development and Production, Deadline has learned.

Barillari joins after consulting in Physical Production at MGM Features and serving as VP of Production and Development for Wishmore Entertainment. In her new role, she will continue to build out the Linden’s diverse slate across film and television.

As part of the company expansion, Mia Samuels is also being promoted to Creative Executive.

Most recently, Barillari produced Chelsea Peretti’s directorial debut, First Time Female Director, for Fox Entertainment Studios alongside Amy Poehler and her Paper Kite Productions. Other feature credits include Argyris Papadimitropolous’ Monday, starring Sebastian Stan, which received Greece’s Iris Award nomination in the category of Best Picture; Steve Basilone’s Long Weekend for Sony Pictures; and Phyllis Nagy’s Call Jane starring Elizabeth Banks for Roadside Attractions. Barillari has also worked closely with auteur Paul Thomas Anderson,...

Irish director Lorcan Finnegan – already behind “Vivarium” – returns to Cannes with “The Surfer.” Starring Nicolas Cage, it follows a man who just wants to surf on a beach next to his old childhood home in Australia. But he is not a local anymore and he will have to fight for it – or lose his mind.

Nic’s character actually references “surfing as a metaphor for life.” Why did you want to explore – and maybe also mock – this philosophy?

I met Thomas Martin, who wrote the film, years ago. We wanted to do something together and then he mentioned “The Surfer.” It was about this one man, trying to deal with who he thinks he is and what he actually wants over the course of five days. It felt very contained, challenging and appealing to me as a filmmaker.

At the beginning of the film, The Surfer says: “You either surf,...

Eco-horror isn’t a sub-genre that gets talked about a ton unfortunately. It can be anything from animals attacking due to their sudden craving of human flesh like Grizzly or even just due to man not putting enough respect on the name of nature like in Long Weekend. The hey day of these is undoubtedly the 70s with things like Prophecy, The Swarm, Piranha, Phase 4, and a few other standouts. While the output certainly slowed down, there are more than a few standouts in the late 90s and even 21st century. We can’t seem to stop screwing up the planet and as we do, we get reminded that the planet may just fight back in ways like what is shown in Day After Tomorrow or to a hilarious degree in The Happening. A unique one that failed to make its budget back, even with good reviews and scores, is...

Of all the cautionary lessons that horror imparts, one of the most common warns us never to mess with Mother Nature. Those who are careless or hostile to the environment often meet their demises when Earth retaliates violently in eco-horror movies.

Ecological horror movies explore humankind’s estranged, fractured relationship with the planet, and its characters often find themselves on the defense against nature’s wrath. In celebration of Earth Day, an annual event in support of environmental protection, we’re looking back at some of the best eco-horror movies that remind us to take care of our planet… or else.

Here are ten eco-horror movies to watch this Earth Day.

The Bay

This found footage movie sees a seaside town under siege from an unknown virulent threat. First comes a gnarly rash, then vomiting, then a violent, disturbing death. Eventually, researchers discover it’s a parasitic ocean isopod that...

The 1970s: a time of bell-bottoms, disco balls, and, most importantly, some of the most tantalizingly obscure horror movies that have somehow slipped through the cracks of mainstream acclaim. These underrated ’70s horror movies are like the hidden tracks on your favorite vinyl; they offer a unique blend of chills and thrills that mainstream hits just can’t match. So, if you’ve ever felt the urge to explore the shadowy depths of 70s horror gems, you’ve stumbled upon the perfect crypt.

Grab your flashlight (or your remote) as we descend into the catacombs of horror’s past to unearth thirteen deep-cut ’70s horror movies that are begging to be watched. With a mix of supernatural spectacles, psychological terrors, and cult classics that time forgot, this list is your ultimate guide to expanding your horror horizons.

The Rank Organisation 10. The Shout (1978)

Kicking off our list is a film that...

Many romantic comedies utilize deception as a key plot point. However, for every film that incorporates an inciting fib with smarts and heart (from “While You Were Sleeping” to “You’ve Got Mail”), there are others that lack a similar savvy finesse (like “How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days” and “The Wedding Date”). “Players” competes in the latter league. Acting as a dumbed-down, gender-swapped kissing cousin to “Hitch,” it centers on a gal and her pals who know all the right moves to land hookups. Director Trish Sie’s middling and at times mawkish film not only makes us hate the game, but also its players.

Sports reporter Mack (Gina Rodriguez) has been playing the field for a long time and she likes it that way. She and her conniving friends Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.), Sam (Augustus Prew) and his younger brother Little (Joel Courtney) routinely scheme and lie...

"Are you... real?!" "You don't know everything about me..." Sony Pictures has revealed an official trailer for a romantic comedy called Long Weekend, marking the directorial debut of the producer / writer Stephen Basilone. The basic logline synopsis for this doesn't say much: a down-on-his-luck struggling writer, meets an enigmatic woman who enters his life at the right time. The trailer reveals a bit more - everything takes place around a meteor shower, and both of them seem to be hiding some secrets. But there's a hint in this trailer that makes me wonder if this is an update on Ruby Sparks, and he "imagined" this perfect woman? We'll see. Finn Wittrock and Zoe Chao co-star, with Wendi McLendon-Covey, Damon Wayans Jr., Jim Rash, and Casey Wilson. It doesn't look so bad, might be worth a watch after all. Check it out below. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Stephen Basilone's Long Weekend,...

Exclusive: Stage 6 Films, a production arm of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, has picked up worldwide distribution rights Long Weekend, a romantic comedy starring Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story) and Zoë Chao (Love Life). The film also stars Happy Endings alums Damon Wayans, Jr. and Casey Wilson as well as Community actor Jim Rash.

Steve Basilone, who has written for shows like Happy Endings, The Goldbergs, and Community, penned the screenplay and is making his film directorial debut. The pic follows Bart, whose chance encounter with the enigmatic Vienna leads to a whirlwind weekend together. The two fall fast and hard, but both carry secrets that could be their undoing or the chance for a fresh start.

Producers are Deanna Barillari, Laura Lewis, Theodora Dunlap, Sam Bisbee, Audrey Rosenberg, and Jess Jacobs. Franklin Carson, Lance Acord, and Jackie Kelman Bisbee served as executive producers.

Exclusive: Veteran film and television producer Christy Spitzer Thornton has been named Head of Film and TV, Development & Production at Rebelle Media, the female-run entertainment company founded by former CAA agent Laura Lewis. Thornton will work with Lewis to oversee the film and television slate and creative direction of the company.

Prior to her new post, Thornton served as the Head of Creative at Level Forward where she produced the Nicole Riegel-helmed upcoming film Holler starring Jessica Barden. She also executive produced Topside, written and directed by Celine Held and Logan George, and The Assistant, starring Julia Garner and written/directed by Kitty Green. Thornton oversaw the Shatterbox short film series partnership with Refinery29.

Rounding out the Rebelle team are Creative Executive Stephanie Noonan and Coordinator Rachel Clair.

“I’m beyond thrilled to join Laura, Stephanie, and the team at Rebelle Media in this progressive venture where we can...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Bad Vacations

I imagine your summer plans didn’t go as expected, but in at least a few films in a new Criterion Channel series, some characters have it worse off than having to quarantine inside. Titled Bad Vacations, the collection includes Bonjour tristesse (Otto Preminger, 1958), La collectionneuse (Éric Rohmer, 1967), The Deep (Peter Yates, 1977), House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977), Long Weekend (Colin Eggleston, 1978), The Green Ray (Eric Rohmer, 1986), The Comfort of Strangers (Paul Schrader, 1990), The Sheltering Sky (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1990), Funny Games (Michael Haneke, 1997), Fat Girl (Catherine Breillat, 2001), La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel, 2001), Unrelated (Joanna Hogg, 2007), and Sightseers (Ben Wheatley, 2012).

Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel

Epicentro (Hubert Sauper)

“This is utopia, bright and burning.

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

An American Pickle (Brandon Trost)

Seth Rogen plays dual roles in his latest comedy, American Pickle follows Seth Rogen both as Herschel Greenbaum, an immigrant who falls in a vat of pickled is brined for 100 years, and his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, who is a computer coder and lives a very different life, to say the least. While there are certainly humorous sequences (a Brooklyn hipster couple’s first impressions of Greenbaum’s pickle stand comes foremost to mind), Rogen is far more interested in the definitions of family and loyalty, themes that are not explored with a great deal of emotional impact, but do add some heart to what...

If you’re looking to dive into the best of independent and foreign filmmaking, The Criterion Channel has announced their August 2020 lineup. The impressive slate includes retrospectives dedicated to Mia Hansen-Løve, Bill Gunn, Stephen Cone, Terry Gilliam, Wim Wenders, Alain Delon, Bill Plympton, Les Blank, and more.

In terms of new releases, they also have Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ Bacurau, the fascinating documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, the Kenyan LGBTQ drama Rafiki, and more. There’s also a series on Australian New Wave with films by Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, David Gulpilil, and Peter Weir, as well as one on bad vacations with Joanna Hogg’s Unrelated, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, and more.

See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.

25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Bill Plympton, 1989

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Roy Rowland,...

It is a rare occurrence to find a movie that speaks so clearly to its current moment like “The Beach House,” despite being filmed months before Covid-19 ravaged our lives, homes, and beaches. Part Lovecraft and part virus flick, it fits right into the category of movies such as “Long Weekend,” “The Mist,” and “The Last Winter,” where small groups of people meet an extinction event that can’t be stopped.

Continue reading ‘The Beach House’ Is A Chilling, Timely Horror Film About A Monster You Can’t Outrun [Review] at The Playlist.

Being released during an epidemic lends additional if unintended frisson to “The Beach House,” a cryptic yet reasonably involving thriller in which vacationers find themselves under threat. The nature of that threat remains ambiguous, but in its partially-airborne inescapability, it definitely hits a note of creepy relevance. Writer-director Jeffrey A. Brown’s first feature is neither fish nor fowl in terms of fitting snugly into any given genre slot — perhaps it’s . In any case, it’s skillful enough to satisfy most viewers, if not quite sufficiently original in concept or striking in execution to leave a lasting imprint. It premieres July 9 on AMC’s streaming imprint Shudder.

Young couple Emily (Liana Liberato) and Randall (Noah Le Gros) drive to his family’s beachside Massachusetts summer house in the off-season, so there seems to be no one else in the neighborhood. As their first priority upon arriving is a shag and a nap,...

Exclusive: Finn Wittrock, who can currently be seen opposite Renée Zellweger in the Judy Garland biopic Judy has been added to the cast of Deep Water, the Adrian Lyne-directed thriller starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas. He joins Tracy Letts, Rachel Blanchard, Dash Mihok, Lil Rel Howery, Jacob Elordi, Kristen Connolly and Jade Fernandez in the film, which is in production.

The pic follows an attractive young married couple, Vic and Melinda Van Allen, whose mind games with each other take a twisted turn when people around them start turning up dead. The couple staves off divorce in a loveless marriage by allowing each to take lovers, but it becomes messy as Highsmith exposes the surface facade of American suburban life.

Zack Helm and Sam Levinson penned the screenplay based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Producers are Garrett Basch, Steven Zaillian, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady and Ben Forkner,...

Pazucus: Island of Vomit and Despair is new surreal film from writer and director Gurcius Gewdner, which has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival on Saturday 27th January. I got chance to ask Gurcius a few questions about what we can expect, his inspirations and designer vomit bags.

What can we expect from the film?

You can expect a different movie, a different experience. A mix of marginal cinema from Brazil with everything that I find on the way to put it on an insanity blender. I cannot promise that will be enjoyable for everyone, but it is, a different experience, it doesn’t matter if you love or hate. And it needs to be watched till the end, to capture the full trip, if you leave at the first half, you will not get the full brain damage package. It is a scatological roller coaster of screaming,...

2017-07-05T09:08:26-07:00'Despicable Me 3' Rakes in Almost $100 Million Over Long Weekend

Gru and his pesky minions ran amok at the July Fourth box-office picnic.

Early estimates for Tuesday show Universal and Illumination's Despicable Me 3 handily winning Independence Day with an estimated $13 million, putting the movie's five-day North American total at $99.4 million. Generally speaking, it was a relatively strong day for moviegoing considering July Fourth is always a challenge. Overall revenue was down roughly 7 percent from Monday, a smaller decline than usual for the holiday.

For the three-day weekend, Despicable Me 3 grossed $72.4 million from 4,529 theaters. While that was notably behind the launch of Despicable Me 2 or spinoff Minions, it is still the best showing of the year to date for an animated film. The family pic earned another $14 million on Monday for a cume of $86.4 million.

In 2013, Despicable Me 2...

Stars: Dominic Purcell, Luke Mably, Marie Avgeropoulos, Claudia Church, Chelsea Edmundson, Stephen Lang, Tricia Helfer | Written by Shane Dax Taylor, Chad Law | Directed by Shane Dax Taylor

A genre-standard bickering couple take their woes to a small island in the Bahamas, where they hope to patch things up and get back on the right track. That track puts them on the same path as two other couples; the charismatic William and Mary (Stephen Lang and Claudia Church) and the horny Max and Nina (Dominic Purcell and Marie Avgeropoulos). While out wining and dining with the former, their beach house is ransacked and robbed. But whodunit? And will they stop at robbery?

With a story which slow-burns like an incense candle, ambling along at a languid pace, Fugitives (aka Isolation) is not the action-heavy gunfight-palooza its cast and synopsis might suggest. Even the normally terrifying Stephen Lang is in laid-back mode here,...

Harmony is an ideal. If everyone just got along, the world could be one big campfire sing-along, a Coke commercial writ large, right? But unfortunately that’s not human nature; certainly not as it pertains to our fellow earthly citizens, or to the globe itself. The ‘70s saw the rise of the eco horror film; “Mother Nature’s back, and she’s pissed” practically emblazoned across posters from the likes of Frogs (1972), Phase IV (1974), and Day of the Animals (1977). Australia threw their hat in the ring at the tail end of the cycle with Long Weekend (1979), a fascinating look at environmental and personal disharmony.

Produced by the Australian Film Commission and the Victorian Film Corporation, and premiering at the 1978 Sitges Film Festival, Long Weekend was released in its native land and the U.S in March of ’79, and didn’t do much business at either end. Perhaps audiences were expecting something a little more visceral,...

Writer/director Damien Power’s Killing Ground may tread some seemingly familiar territory in terms of its overall approach to survival horror—a young couple dealing with deadly backcountry predators on their idyllic getaway is certainly something fans have seen before. But make no mistake, what seems like a pretty standard set-up in Killing Ground evolves viciously into an unexpected game of cat and mouse, and Powers does a brilliant job of both embracing and deconstructing the genre tropes at play in his horrifically savage thriller.

At the start of Killing Ground, we meet young couple Ian (Ian Meadows) and Sam (Harriet Dyer), who are heading out to an Australian campground in the bushland to celebrate their New Year’s holiday and find some time for a little romance. When they arrive, they notice another campsite in the area, but decide to go on about their business, independently celebrating the arrival of a new year.

Red deserts, sweaty brows, scalding sand and swimsuits. Nowhere does summer quite like Australia – and nowhere is it captured better than on film. But how well do you know your classics?

They’re A Weird Mob

Puberty Blues

Age of Consent

The Daughter

These Final Hours

On the Beach

Blackrock

All Men Are Liars

The Overlanders

The Sundowners

The Back of Beyond

Mutiny on the Bounty

Welcome to Woop Woop

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

Muriel’s Wedding

Red Dog

Road Games

Fair Game

Long Weekend

Dead Calm

The Killing of Angel Street

Newsfront

Heatwave

The Year of Living Dangerously

Wake in Fright

Sunday Too Far Away

The Water Diviner

The Man From Snowy River

The Man From Snowy River

The Water Diviner

Australia

The Silver Brumby

Goldstone

Dead Heart

Babe: Pig in the City

Mystery Road

Bungala Boys

Bra Boys

The Coolangatta Gold

The Four Minute Mile

Crocodile Dundee...

There's a long tradition of the rugged splendor and unsettling isolation of rural Australia feeding an atmosphere drenched in dread in Ozploitation shockers from Wake in Fright and Long Weekend through Razorback and Wolf Creek. Damien Power taps into that domestic B-movie history, also pulling inspiration from farther afield in films such as Straw Dogs, Deliverance and Funny Games in his unflinching first feature, Killing Ground.

Basically 88 minutes' worth of good reasons not to seek tranquil solitude in Australia's beautiful nature reserves, the film is a blunt, brutally effective survival tale distinguished by the parallel suspense tracks of its...

Australia’s premier genre festival – Monster Fest – has unveiled its final wave of films for the 2016 festival, which is set to take place November 24-27 at the Lido Cinemas in Melbourne.

The team of features programmers – which includes festival director Kier-La Janisse, Monster Pictures co-founder Neil Foley, Boston Underground Film Festival Director of Programming Nicole McControversy and writer/programmer/punk legend Chris D. – vetted over 600 features in selecting the 2016 Monster Fest lineup, which includes new crime films Dog Eat Dog and The Hollow Point from Paul Schrader and Gonzalo López-Gallego respectively, gory slasher throwback The Windmill Massacre (reviewed here), the hometown premiere of epic period western The Legend of Ben Hall with cast in person and acclaimed Tiff selections Prevenge and Interchange alongside Fantastic Fest faves such as the Aussie-made yuletide thriller Safe Neighbourhood and the devastating – and polarizing – Playground.

From the press release:

Select panels for the Swinburne University...

Edited by Hans-Åke Lilja, Shining in the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja's Library is exclusive to Cemetery Dance Publications and will feature a Stephen King story that hasn't been released since 1981. We also have updated release details for The Similars, the final wave of films announced at Monster Fest 2016, six photos / details for The Orphanage video game, and a new trailer for Gremlin.

Cemetery Dance Publications' Shining in the Dark Anthology: From Cemetery Dance: "Shining In the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja's Library edited by Hans-Åke Lilja.

About the Book:

Hans-Ake Lilja, the founder of Lilja's Library, has compiled a brand new anthology of horror stories to help celebrate twenty years of running the #1 Stephen King news website on the web!

This anthology includes both original stories like the brand new novella by John Ajvide Lindqvist (Let the Right One In) very rare reprints like "The Blue Air...

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty." Whether you want to watch Buffy Summers and company battle supernatural beings for the first time or re-live all your favorite moments from the show, reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are playing now on Pop TV. Also: The Drawing short film starring Clarke Wolfe in its entirety, a trailer / acquisition news for Gehenna: Where Death Lives, an excerpt from Duncan Ralston's Woom, the lineup for Ithaca Fantastik Film Festival, and The Master Cleanse at Screamfest.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Pop TV: Reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are now playing on Pop TV.

To learn more, visit:

http://poptv.com/buffy_the_vampire_slayer/

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Watch Short Film The Drawing in its Entirety: Press Release: "Los Angeles, CA: The Drawing is coming! The Drawing is here! The Drawing is a modern monster horror short infused with 80s synth overtones.

With the massive success of Carrie (1976), telekinesis was quickly added to horror filmmakers’ arsenal as a new weapon to terrify audiences. The immense power of the film left some reticent to tackle the subject for fear of falling short; however Brian DePalma stepped up to the plate with The Fury (1978), and that same year fledgling Australian filmmaker Richard Franklin made Patrick, a suspenseful, darkly humorous tale of a nurse and the psychokinetically disposed comatose patient that loves her.

Released on its native soil October 1st, 1978, Patrick was bought up for distribution by over 30 countries after a successful screening at the Cannes Film Festival, easily earning back its $400,000 Aud budget (half of which was chipped in by the Australian Film Commission). More good news followed as Patrick was well received by critics, and rightly so – it’s a tense little beaut with an emphasis on character and scattered shocks throughout.

The...

Relax with the latest Horror Highlights brought to you by your friends here at Daily Dead. The first of three items today is a new poster for festival darling, In a Valley of Violence. Also: GoFundMe details for the 22-episode documentary Two Minutes with Tom Holland and a look at Ithaca Fantastik Film Festival's program announcement.

Check Out The New In a Valley of Violence Poster: Focus World will release In a Valley of Violence in select theaters and on VOD and Digital HD on October 21st, 2016.

“A mysterious drifter named Paul (Ethan Hawke) and his dog (YouTube sensation Jumpy) make their way towards Mexico through the barren desert of the old west. In an attempt to shorten their journey, they cut through the center of a large valley — landing themselves in the forgotten town of Denton, a place now dubbed by locals as a “valley of violence.” The once-popular...

Shock’s Lee Gambin pens a love letter to a masterpiece of Aussie horror. Let’s just start by saying Long Weekend is possibly my favorite Australian film – and that is a mighty big call, because during the 70s and early 80s, Australia really knew how to deliver fantastic genre films. A lot would be loud…

The post Is 1978’s Long Weekend the Greatest Australian Horror Film Ever Made? appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Presented by the Denver Film Society, Theresa Mercado's Scream Screen movie series continues this month at Denver's Sie FilmCenter with a new theme: "When Animals Attack!"

Each Saturday night from February 13th to March 5th, an animal-centric horror film will be screened at the Sie FilmCenter. The weekly screenings will be accompanied by additional entertainment ranging from live music performances to a presentation on one of the most dangerous spiders on Earth.

The featured films include Monkey Shines, Long Weekend (1978), Cujo, and Willard (1971). We have details on the screenings below, and to learn more, visit:

http://www.denverfilm.org/filmcenter/detail.aspx?id=28119&Fid=86

"Sat. February 13- Monkey Shines (1988) A quadriplegic man has a trained monkey help him with his paralysis, until the little monkey begins to develop feelings, and rage, against its new master. Directed by George Romero. And special guest DJ Tanner (aka Keith Garcia) will be...

This is definitely the time of year when film critic types (I’m sure you know who I mean) spend an inordinate amount of time leading up to awards season—and it all leads up to awards season, don’t it?—compiling lists and trying to convince anyone who will listen that it was a shitty year at the movies for anyone who liked something other than what they saw and liked. And ‘tis the season, or at least ‘thas (?) been in the recent past, for that most beloved of academic parlor games, bemoaning the death of cinema, which, if the sackcloth-and-ashes-clad among us are to be believed, is an increasingly detached and irrelevant art form in the process of being smothered under the wet, steaming blanket of American blockbuster-it is. And it’s going all malnourished from the siphoning off of all the talent back to TV, which, as everyone knows,...

Revelation Perth International Film Festival is set to screen Australian classic Long Weekend as part of its October 26 event.

Australian Revelations is a celebration of Australian film via monthly screenings.

Each Australian Revelations feature screening will be accompanied by a Western Australian made short film, providing opportunities for local filmmakers to have their work seen by new audiences. .Revelation encourages Wa filmmakers to forward their short films for consideration.

Released in 1978, Colin Eggleston.s film is a taut two-hander starring the John Hargreaves and Briony Behets as a married couple trying to salvage their relationship by spending a long weekend away camping..

As things progress, their environment turns increasingly hostile — mirroring the internal conflict of the couple — and playing out as a very tense psychological drama.

Rev director, Richard Sowada, said it was always a pleasure bringing to Wa audiences some of the rare and rarely seen classics of Australian cinema.

Lucky Louie, Season 1, Episode 5: “Long Weekend”

Written by Dino Stamatopoulos

Directed by Andrew D. Weyman

Aired on July 10th, 2006 on HBO

If nothing else, “Control” makes for a very focused episode of Lucky Louie. In a series crammed full of B plots and skits that feel forced in because Louis C.K. didn’t know where to put them (i.e. the “Why” sketch from the cold open in “Pilot”), it’s refreshing to see an episode which clearly develops a single idea. Whereas other half-hours have felt trapped between half-baked gags, there’s something enjoyable about seeing an episode which devotes its running time to exploring a specific concept and how it affects various members of the ensemble.

It’s too bad, though, that writer Dino Stamatopoulos doesn’t use the focus of the episode to examine a fresher topic. By looking at dieting, and specifically Louie’s desire...

Lucky Louie, Season 1, Episode 4: “Long Weekend”

Written by Louis C.K.

Directed by Andrew D. Weyman

Aired on July 3rd, 2006 on HBO

Throughout Louis C.K.’s career, although he often bears a strong resemblance to the characters he plays (including in his stand-up persona), he almost never seems to intend for the audience to wholly identify with them. Outside of his self-righteous late-night rants, as heavily as C.K. plays his regular guy shtick (particularly when he positions himself as the relatable foil to an off-the-rails sad sack, such as in “Cop Story” from the most recent season of Louie), there’s almost always something to keep the viewer from unambiguously rooting for him.

Sometimes that “something” is quite a bit more pronounced, like in “Long Weekend.” Although there are often conceivable loopholes for those who wish to defend C.K.’s characters, there’s not much of a possible...

Once upon a time, Sterling Cooper was just a scrappy, one-floor ad agency started with seed money from Bert Cooper's sister Alice. (Alice Cooper. Yep.) And look at 'em now! Roger, Don, and the other surviving members of the squad are now in "advertising heaven" at McCann Erickson. Or at least that's what the McCann guy thinks. How did we get here? Journey with us through the long, tortured history of the agency — agencies? — we know and love.Don is made partner at Sterling Cooper. Back in season one, everything was peachy: Everybody worked at Sterling Cooper, and all was right in the world. (Except for all the racism and sexism and general oppressiveness.) Then, in season one, episode 10, "Long Weekend," Roger has a heart attack. Bert tries to rush him back to work in the following episode, "Indian Summer," but Roger winds up back on a gurney being...

Welcome back to This Week In Discs! If you see something you like, click on the title to buy it from Amazon. God Help the Girl Eve (Emily Browning) is suffering from an eating disorder, but while it limits her body she refuses to let it shortchange her creativity and musical interests. She steals off for an adventure in Glascow where she meets two kindred spirits in James (Olly Alexander) and Cassie (Hannah Murray). Together they write and perform songs for themselves, strangers and us as they struggle to decide what they want their futures to hold. Belle & Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch wrote and directed this incredibly sweet, playful and joy-filled gem, and if you’re even remotely a fan of his band’s music you’ll be equally addicted to the tunes here. They’re all fantastic, and two in particular are so incredibly good that I’ve already made a habit of listening to the...

The second week of April is a big one for horror fans, as one of the most buzzed-about indie genre films of 2014—The Babadook—is finally coming home this Tuesday courtesy of Scream Factory and IFC Midnight. There are also a multitude of classic cult titles arriving in high-def on April 14th as well, including Long Weekend, Tales of Terror, the sequels to both The Toxic Avenger and Class of Nuke ’Em High, and Class of 1984.

Several new titles are also being released this week including Jinn, Roadside, and Echoes, and 20th Century Fox is unleashing their terror-filled sequel, The Woman in Black 2 Angel of Death, on both Blu-ray and DVD.

The Babadook (Scream Factory/IFC Midnight, Deluxe Edition Blu-ray & DVD)

Amelia (AFI Award winner Essie Davis, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, The Slap) is a single mother plagued by the violent death of her husband.

“In my Top 5 favorite Australian movies. It’s a true little undiscovered gem that is just begging to be rediscovered and take its place in 70s genre cinema.” – Quentin Tarantino

“A nifty little sleeper.” – Nathaniel Thompson, Mondo-Digital.com

Upon its 2005 DVD release, the Australian thriller Long Weekend quickly became one of the most highly-regarded films in the Synapse Films library, later to be prominently featured in Mark Hartley’s acclaimed … Continue reading →

Horrornews.net...

Welcome to another horror/sci-fi round-up! This time around we have release details on the Blu-rays of Long Weekend and Silent Running, as well as a look at Mondo’s new Alien posters.

Synapse Films will release Long Weekend to Blu-ray on April 14th:

Press Release - “Upon its 2005 DVD release, the Australian thriller Long Weekend quickly became one of the most highly-regarded films in the Synapse Films library, later to be prominently featured in Mark Hartley’s acclaimed documentary Not Quite Hollywood and remade by director Jamie Blanks (Urban Legend) in 2008. Fans have long requested a Blu-ray upgrade for this unrelenting Aussie classic, now making its high-def debut on a stunning new Synapse Blu-ray!

Attempting to resurrect their failing marriage, Peter (John Hargreaves, The Odd Angry Shot) and Marcia (Briony Behets) set out on a camping trip to a deserted stretch of the Australian coastline hoping a long weekend...

Synapse, one of the leading labels for cult and genre film home video and restoration has announced its Blu upgrade for Australian classic, Long Weekend. Citing the heavy requests for a Blu edition of Colin Eggleston’s 1978 film—remade by Jamie Blanks in 2008 as Nature’s Grave—Synapse has provided and thusly revealed art and features for…

The post Synapse Details Long Weekend on Blu appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

2015 will be a big year for Synapse Films and for Blu-Ray collectors. Their upcoming releases of Suspiria, Tenebre, Phenomena and Popcorn can overshadow any other releases this year from the company but that doesn’t make those releases any less important. One film that I’m happy is getting a hi-def release is the Aussie thriller Long Weekend. Synapse posted the news via their Facebook page.

Post by Synapse Films.

Can’t wait to see this nature revenge film in Hi-Def! The Blu-Ray will hit shelves April 14, 2015.

The post 1978’s Long Weekend Hits Blu-Ray via Synapse Films appeared first on Destroy the Brain!.

Long weekend? Don't forget to get a free cup of joe today.

Tired from the weekend? Today is National Coffee Day, and the best part about this is that you can get a free cup to start your Monday off right.

News: George Clooney Had a Fun Weekend Wedding

In celebration, Dunkin Donuts tweeted out this message saying they’re giving a free medium-sized dark roast coffee.

Happy #NationalCoffeeDay! Celebrate with a Free medium New Hot Dark Roast coffee! pic.twitter.com/2zrCu4uVN3

— Dunkin' Donuts (@DunkinDonuts) September 29, 2014

McDonalds also joined in on the fun and is giving out a small cup.

My coffee is your coffee. Visit us ‘til 9/29 for a free small @McCafe coffee during breakfast. https://t.co/3xklAkjx11

— McDonald's (@McDonalds) September 27, 2014

Krispy Kreme is giving out a small cup too.

#NationalCoffeeDay! Get a free small coffee at participating shops in the Us on Monday- 9/29 http://t.co/FEpkQVmUt...

Political thriller The Code took the major Awgie award as well as the trophy for best original miniseries at the Australian Writers. Guild awards on Friday night.

The six-hour series, which premieres on ABC on September 21, is written by Blake Ayshford, Shelley Birse and Justin Monjo and produced by Playmaker Media. The major Awgie recognises the best of the night's winners across stage, screen, new media and radio.

The feature film award went to Adelaide writer Matthew Cormack for his first debut feature 52 Tuesdays, the gender-bending drama hailed as .bold and structurally adventurous..

Winner of the best documentary prize was Sally McKenzie for A Woman.s Journey Into Sex.

Andrew Knight was rewarded for his script for Essential Media and Entertainment.s telemovie The Broken Shore, adapted from the Peter Temple novel. Writer/director Peter Duncan won best TV series script for Essential.s Rake.

Niki Aken and Felicity Packard...

Australia... it's a vast, beautiful, welcoming country. It's also full to bursting with things that can kill you, if the big screen is to be believed. Inspired by Mia Wasikowska's plucky 1,700-mile trek across the Outback in Tracks, we flag up the traps and tropes she should watch out for.

(Un)Natural Phenomena

Exotic wildlife proliferates Down Under, most of it deceptively lethal. Witness the baby stolen by a dingo in horrifying Meryl Streep-starrer A Cry In The Dark (1988). The same – real – tragedy loosely inspired Razorback, a mullet-tastic 1984 horror about a giant marauding pig, directed by Highlander's Russell Mulcahy (mooted tagline: 'There Can Only Be Oink'). The less said about the ballet-dancing were-roos of The Marsupials: The Howling III (1987), the better.

Much more convincing is the giant CG crocodile munching Radha Mitchell's boat tour group (ex-Neighbours actors constitute an Outback peril all of their own) in 2007's Rogue,...

Last week, the cult film world lost a true luminary. While you might not be terribly familiar with the name Everett De Roche, this staggeringly talented screenwriter is responsible for many of the absolute best Ozploitation films. On today’s episode, Cargill and I sit down to discuss our favorite flicks written by this Aussie auteur. From Roadgames to Razorback, from Harlequin to Long Weekend, De Roche’s contributions to one of the greatest niche movements in cinema are recounted with much enthusiasm. Join us as we go talkabout. You should follow Brian (@Briguysalisbury), Cargill (@Massawyrm), and the show (@Junkfoodcinema). Download Episode #6 Directly On This Week’s Show: Pre-ramble [00:00 - 07:45] The films of Everett De Roche [07:45 - 56:00] Denouement [56:00 - 59:00] Get In Touch With Us: Email Junkfood Cinema Follow the Show:...

Prolific screenwriter Everett De Roche, who died in Melbourne yesterday, was one of the instigators of the Ozploitation genre movement of the 1970s and 80s.

The Us-born writer, who migrated to Australia with his wife in 1968, was 67. He had battled with cancer for three years. He started as an in-house writer for Crawfords for four years in the 1970s, penning episodes of Homicide, Division 4, Ryan and Matlock Police.

His first feature screenplay was Colin Eggleston.s Long Weekend in 1978. Among his film credits were Richard Franklin.s Patrick (1978), Simon Wincer.s Harlequin (1980), Franklin.s Roadgames (1981), David Hemmings. Race to the Yankee Zephyr (1981), Russell Mulcahy.s Razorback (1984) and Franklin.s Visitors (2003).

In 2008 he and director Jamie Blanks collaborated on a remake of Long Weekend, for which he added two characters, a baby dugong and several scenes. "The basic environmental message works as well today as it did in 1978," he said.

Writer Lee Gambin calls them Natural Horror films, other writers call them Revenge of Nature or Nature Run Amok films and writer Charles Derry considers them a type of Apocalyptic Cinema.

Of course we’re speaking of one of the great horror subgenres for which we’ll employ writer Kim Newman’s tag: The Revolt of Nature.

Since the end of the 1990s, lovers of animal attack films have been subjected to copious amounts of uninspired Nu Image, Syfy Channel and Syfy Channel-like dreck like Silent Predators (1999), Maneater (2007) Croc (2007), Grizzly Rage (2007) and a stunning amount of terrible shark attack films to name a few that barely scratch the surface of a massive list.

These movies fail miserably to capture the intensity of the unforgettable films they are imitating and the recent wave seems to carry with it the intent of giving the Revolt of Nature horror film a bad name.

The ‘Breaking Bad’ star will be back as Barney’s super-annoying boss Hammond Druthers!

If you thought the reveal of Cristin Milioti as “the mother” was the only big surprise in store for How I Met Your Mother fans this season, think again! Creator Carter Bays used Twitter to drum up excitement for another special announcement Sept. 25 — and it definitely lived up to the hype.

“Some cool #Himym casting news will be breaking soon,” Carter tweeted just before 10 a.m. Et on Sept. 25.

Bryan Cranston Returning To ‘Himym’ In Final Season

The big news — that Bryan Cranston will return this season as Barney’s (Neil Patrick Harris) boss Hammond Druthers – was eventually broken at 2 p.m. Et by CBS’ official Twitter account:

Casting News! @BryanCranston returns to #Himym later this fall as Hammond Druthers! #BreakingMOTHER

HollywoodLifers, are you excited to see Hammond back on Himym? How do you think he...