Actualités

Technical difficulties tend to intertwine with my work every once and awhile. One of those times is when I had a phone interview with director Michael Bartlett. Bartlett is coming into St. Louis to promote his latest film, Treehouse. I didn’t realize until a few hours prior to the interview that Bartlett was the co-director of The Zombie Diaries and Zombie Diaries 2. Prior to calling Bartlett, I did some research – as I usually do – and got my questions ready. Typically, when I do interviews, I try to be more conversational than just ask questions. It seems to flow better for both myself and the subject of the interview. I’m also always interested in what got said subject into creating something in the genre as well as their background with the genre.

After I prepped “guideline” questions, I called Bartlett and proceeded to have about an hour long conversation with him.

Treehouse screens Sunday November 16th at 8:30pm at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Boulevard) as part of The St. Louis International Film Festival. Tickets can be purchased Here

Britsih-born director Michael Bartlett made a name for himself in horror circles with The Zombie Diaries, its sequel, The Zombie Diaries 2. and The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill. His latest shocker is Treehouse. When a young girl and her little brother are the latest to go missing without a trace, their hometown imposes a curfew, and no one is allowed to go out after dark. But two brothers break the rules, and when they unwittingly stumble across an old treehouse deep in the woods, they find themselves in the middle of an unimaginable nightmare. Inside the treehouse, the brothers discover the missing girl, terrified and hiding, but her brother has vanished. Together, the trio will soon face a fight for survival against an unexpected and bone-chilling evil.

Stars: Michael Bartlett, Kevin Gates, Craig Stovin, Criselda Cabitac, Mark Jeavons | Written by Kevin Gates | Directed by Michael Bartlett, Kevin Gates

In March 1963, a black mass was held at a ruined church in Clophill, Bedfordshire by a coven of dark witches. Tombs were looted, animals sacrificed and human bones arranged during a macabre ceremony. Further defilements continued at Clophill in the following years, with cattle in nearby fields found mutilated, evidence of necromancy discovered and perpetual sightings of paranormal activity witnessed at the isolated ruin. Fifty years on from the original incident, the Clophill legend remains etched on the psyches of the local populace. In 2010, a documentary team was assembled to investigate the legend of the Clophill witches and to try and uncover the truth behind the paranormal events.

Oh great, another found-footage flick and one created by the guys behind the Zombie Diaries series – which, to be honest, doesn‘t exactly bode well…...

Alrighty, kids! On tap right now is the official sales art for the steller new spooker from Kevin Gates and Michael Bartlett, The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill (review). Dig it in all of its spooky glory!

"We shot The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill during the pre-production of Zombie Diaries 2 when there were a whole series of setbacks with funding the sequel," says Kevin Gates. "During the pre-production period I was itching to get something shot, and there was just time to squeeze in an 'in-between' film. The idea of taking back control, making the kind of film we wanted and could take our time over, was very appealing."

Gates continues, "I grew up in an area of Bedfordshire in the UK rich in legends of witchcraft and knew of a local ruin that had a history of black magic and the occult and always thought it had potential for a film.

Time to kick off your week with a nice sampling of spooky as we have landed the official festival trailer for Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates' The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill (review). Saddle up, kids, and get set for your exclusive first look!

"We shot The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill during the pre-production of Zombie Diaries 2 when there were a whole series of setbacks with funding the sequel," says Kevin Gates. "During the pre-production period I was itching to get something shot, and there was just time to squeeze in an 'in-between' film. The idea of taking back control, making the kind of film we wanted and could take our time over, was very appealing."

Gates continues, "I grew up in an area of Bedfordshire in the UK rich in legends of witchcraft and knew of a local ruin that had a history of black magic and the occult and...

Alrighty kids! On tap right now is the sales art for the steller new spooker from Kevin Gates and Michael Bartlett, The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill. Put on your night vision goggles, say a quick prayer, and check it out!

"We shot The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill during the pre-production of Zombie Diaries 2 when there were a whole series of setbacks with funding the sequel," says Kevin Gates. "During the pre-production period I was itching to get something shot, and there was just time to squeeze in an 'in-between' film. The idea of taking back control, making the kind of film we wanted and could take our time over was very appealing."

Gates continues, "I grew up in an area of Bedfordshire in the UK rich in legends of witchcraft and knew of a local ruin that had a history of black magic and the occult and always thought it had potential for a film.

Welcome horror fans to the UK debut of the November edition of Horror Bites, the Horror Channel’s monthly guide to some of the highlights coming your way in November… Yes, you did read that right folks, our good friends at the Horror Channel have let us have the exclusive UK debut of their monthly show Horror Bites.

Hosted by Emily Booth, you’ll see Horror Bites right here on Blogomatic3000 before anywhere else!

This month on the Horror channel their Winter Chills Weekend is guaranteed to leave you frozen in fear, with the premiere of Tommy Wirkola’s fantastic horror comedy Dead Snow and the Swedish slasher movie Blood Runs Cold. Rounding out the Winter Chills weekend is The Thaw, which stars Val Kilmer as a scientist in the Arctic researching the greenhouse effect who makes a terrifying discovery.

Also showing on the Horror channel this month is World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2...

It's been a while since we've heard anything about Chronicles of the Dead, but that's about to change with the release of the zombie web series' third teaser and news of a special treat coming on Halloween.

The series' production company, 3N Films, tells us that they will release a "scary as hell, nighttime zombie apocalypse-driven episode on October 31st" so be sure to check back then to watch it.

They also provided a few quotes from directors who have themselves directed zombie films:

"Stylish and exciting... it drops you right into the middle of the inevitable zombie apocalypse and doesn't let up on the dread or destruction." -Director of Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies and The Man From Earth, Richard Schenkman

"Very impressive. The combination of realism and style creates a uniquely intense and thrilling ride... Romero would be proud."-Director of Zmd: Zombies of Mass Destruction, Kevin Hamedani

"The...

During pre-production of Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates’ sequel to The Zombie Diaries, the duo were able to shoot an “in-between” film called The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill that mixes real interviews of an occult landmark with a written-in fictional story.

Here’s what Kevin Gates had to say about the film:

“We shot The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill during the pre-production of Zombie Diaries 2 when there were a whole series of setbacks with funding the sequel. During the pre-production period I was itching to get something shot, and there was just time to squeeze in an ‘in-between’ film. The idea of taking back control, making the kind of film we wanted and could take our time over was very appealing.”

Gates continues, “I grew up in an area of Bedfordshire in the UK rich in legends of witchcraft and knew of a local ruin that had a history of black...

Back in 2006 filmmakers Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates premiered the trailer for their incredible zombie film The Zombie Diaries. Thanks to some studio tinkering with the second Zd film, things flew a bit off the rails, but the duo is back and looking to scare the hell out of us once again.

These guys know how to do spooky like few others, and that being said, we are extremely excited to give you cats a first look at their new film, The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill.

"We shot The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill during the pre-production of Zombie Diaries 2 when there were a whole series of setbacks with funding the sequel," says Kevin Gates. "During the pre-production period I was itching to get something shot, and there was just time to squeeze in an 'in-between' film. The idea of taking back control, making the kind of film we wanted and could...

Back in 2006 filmmakers Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates premiered the trailer for their incredible zombie film, The Zombie Diaries. Thanks to some studio tinkering with the second Zd film things flew off the rails, but the duo is back and looking to scare the hell out of us once again.

These guys know how to do spooky like few others and that being said we are extremely excited to give you cats a first look at their new film, The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill.

"We shot The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill during the pre-production of Zombie Diaries 2 when there were a whole series of setbacks with funding the sequel", says Kevin Gates. "During the pre-production period I was itching to get something shot and there was just time to squeeze in an 'in between' film. The idea of taking back control, making the kind of film we wanted and could take...

2011 brought a lot of great horror films. From Stake Land to A Lonely Place to Die, there were a lot of films to watch and enjoy. 2011 also served up a lot of misery as well. Here at 28Dla, this reviewer has learned to dodge a few bullets in the movie world. Admittedly, this reviewer skipped Fred Andrews' Creature in theatres and the latest forced production of the Hellraiser series, titled Hellraiser: Revelations was also missed thanks to some early reviews. However a few films slipped under the radar or were shipped to the 28Dla HQ with little warning or previous info'. These are some of those films.

Some of the elements that made a terrible film this year were the inability to create tension or to create interesting characters. Without tension or thrills what is a horror film? As well, not providing any backstory for a character is a...

Tis the season to be jolly and here at 28Dla, we have compiled a list of notable video titles that are available in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Yuletide fun can also include a tale of terror too to make those chilly nights even colder. This list is compiled from various sources.

November Releases

Bikini Bloodbath Christmas

"Jenny and Sharon are back! This time Ms. Johnson is in a coma, and the girls, along with their new friends, find themselves working at Mrs. Johnson's (Ms. Johnson's British cross-dressing sister) Bong Shoppe. Team Bong Shoppe is embattled in fierce competition for holiday business with a Christian Deli across the way. Things get a little crazy and in the heat of the moment, Jenny once again accidentally resurrects the Killer Chef... and mayhem—gratuitous amounts of gore and nudity—ensue! The Limited Edition Giftpack includes a limited poster and White Liger CD.

Zombie Diaries 2 hits DVD and Blu-ray today, so we had a quick chat with co-director Michael Bartlett about what it took to raise the dead this time around. What we found out was that Bartlett had a story to tell about the mounting pressure from certain studios to get films out fast and what that means for the final product.

Continue reading...

Director: Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates.

Writer: Kevin Gates.

World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 is a sequel to the 2006 film The Zombie Diaries. Much like the zombie antagonists, World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 is a lifeless thriller that has been described as "the world's most tedious zombie movie" (Daily) and "lacking character development" (Mirror). Released on DVD in the United Kingdom June 27th, this film shambles around at a monotonous pace, until the ending finally finds something brilliant (irony). But most viewers will have fallen down dead from boredom before these final few minutes.

A squad of territorial soldiers embarks from their virus overrun bunker in search of Hope's Point. Here, there is a possible rescue by ships from Rotterdam. Zombies walking at 1/4 km an hour drive the plot at a sedate pace, as Maddox (Philip Brodie) urges his squad forward. Then, the first of three exploitative rapes begins,...

This week World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 was given a DVD release in the UK (for our Us readers the flick is getting a home release on October 11, 2011). In anticipation of its release, we recently caught up with director Michael Bartlett to talk about the project and get the lowdown on what’s next for him and Zombie Diaries writer Kevin Gates.

Check out our Q&A with Bartlett below, and look for more on World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 (review here) soon!

Dread Central: Let’s go back to the beginning. How did you and writer Kevin Gates team up to create the original Zombie Diaries in 2006?

Michael Bartlett: I first met Kevin Gates in 2002, when he found my filmmaking blog, MakingTheFilm.Com, whilst searching for locations for his first feature. Kevin invited me to come along for a day to his shoot, and...

Bridesmaids (15)

(Paul Feig, 2011, Us) Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, 125 mins.

Having recovered from the shocking revelation that women can be funny, rude, and entertaining in the absence of men, we can at last put the debates and Hangover comparisons this movie has prompted behind us now and just enjoy a satisfying prenuptial comedy. Led by Wiig's anxious maid of honour, it certainly matches male equivalents in the grossness stakes at times, but it also finds deeper, smarter ways to make us laugh.

Incendies (15)

(Denis Villeneuve, 2010, Can/Fra) Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette. 131 mins.

A mother's death sets her two children on an investigation into their personal and political history in this powerful mystery, set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country.

Countdown To Zero (Nc)

(Lucy Walker, 2010, Us) 89 mins.

Not got enough things to worry about? That's because you forgot about the threat of nuclear annihilation that still hangs over us.

At the 28Dla switchboard, we are inundated with all types of zombie film and book stories. Sometimes the undead are taking over America e.g. Craig Dilouie's book

Tooth and Nail, or they are more ambitious. In the AMC television series "The Walking Dead" the infection is global and in this latest film, the rotting dead are violently hungry for braaaiiinnsss!! In Michael Bartlett's follow-up to the 2006 The Zombie Diaries, you best be armed to fight the apocalypse, as the trailer tells us. Hopefully, God forbid, film audiences are not being over-saturated with tales of the undead, since the first trailer for World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 looms below.

The synopsis for World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2:

"Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK a surviving band...

I wasn't a big fan of The Zombie Diaries, yet the newly released trailer for Kevin Gates and Michael Bartlet's World Of The Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 looks pretty damn intense. The production value is topnotch and some of the imagery is quite dark (the people lined up to be shot). Arriving on DVD June 27 in the UK, "Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK, a surviving band of soldiers and civilians have taken refuge at a rural military barracks. Life is tough, but hope appears when a high level communication is received from a military base on the coast, telling of sanctuary elsewhere in Europe."...

The official trailer for the long awaited sequel to director Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates' The Zombie Diaries (review here), World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2, is here; and we have every shambling second of it for you!

Zombie fans in the UK can expect to see World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 in London cinemas on June 24th, 2011.

Alix Wilton Regan, Philip Brodie, Josh Myers, Craig Stovin, Hiram Bleetman, Marshall Griffin, Rob Oldfield, Russell Jones, Jonnie Hurn, Okorie Chukwu, Aj Williams, Joshua Dunlop, Toby Bowman, Vicky Araico, and Criselda Cabitac all star.

Dig on the plot, trailer, and art below.

Synopsis

Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK a surviving band of soldiers and civilians have taken refuge at a rural military barracks. Life in this new world is tough and brutal,...

Are you ready for the coming zombie apocalypse? If not, you might want to take some tips from directors Michael Bartlett and Kevin Gates, from their film World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries. In this United Kingdom poster, they tell us to break out the riot gear and the M-16, in order to face your undead neighbours. These filmmakers also suggest you find an isolated hideout to ride out the swelling wave of infected, in the synopsis. Check out a few more tips from Bartlett and Gates, as World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries aka Zombie Diaries 2 gets set to release in both the United Kingdom and North America this year!

The synopsis for Zombie Diaries 2 is here:

"Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK, a surviving band of soldiers and...

Just days after the announcement that the long awaited sequel to director Michael Bartlett's The Zombie Diaries (review here), World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2, would be opening across the pond in June, we now have the first official look at the artwork for you!

Zombie fans in the UK can expect to see World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 in London cinemas on June 24th, 2011.

Alix Wilton Regan, Philip Brodie, Josh Myers, Craig Stovin, Hiram Bleetman, Marshall Griffin, Rob Oldfield, Russell Jones, Jonnie Hurn, Okorie Chukwu, Aj Williams, Joshua Dunlop, Toby Bowman, Vicky Araico, and Criselda Cabitac all star.

Dig on the plot and art below.

Synopsis

Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK a surviving band of soldiers and civilians have taken refuge at a rural military barracks.

Here at Dread Central we're big fans of director Michael Bartlett and his film The Zombie Diaries (review here). With a sequel on the way we've been wondering just when we'll be getting a chance to see it. Well word has come ... for those in London.

Zombie fans from across the pond can expect to see World of the Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 in London cinemas on June 24th, 2011.

Alix Wilton Regan, Philip Brodie, Josh Myers, Craig Stovin, Hiram Bleetman, Marshall Griffin, Rob Oldfield, Russell Jones, Jonnie Hurn, Okorie Chukwu, Aj Williams, Joshua Dunlop, Toby Bowman, Vicky Araico, and Criselda Cabitac all star.

Dig on the plot and the teaser art below.

Synopsis

Three months have passed since a viral outbreak wiped out 99.9% of the world's population, turning its victims into flesh-eating living dead. In the UK a surviving band of soldiers and civilians have taken refuge at a rural military barracks.

It was officially announced today that Kevin Gates and Michael Bartlett are teaming back up for World Of The Dead: The Zombie Diaries 2 The film is scheduled for release in 2011. No details have been released, but we got our hands on the art inside. The Zombie Diaries took place in the early part of the 21st Century where an unknown virus began spreading among the populous. Within weeks it had engulfed the entire planet, from the smallest rural communities to the greatest cities. Upon the death of its host, the virus would reanimate the corpse until it was no longer able to support itself. Soon, the planet was infested with a new threat - the undead. So begins our journey into the dystopian world of The Zombie Diaries.