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The distribution company Kino Lorber recently launched an interesting Blu-ray line called Kino Cult, and so far they have released the 1985 sci-fi Western Alien Outlaw, the Bettie Page double feature Teaserama and Varietease, the 1985 horror film The Dark Power, the 1974 drama Drifter, the 1974 Jess Franco horror film Lorna the Exorcist, the 1973 Jess Franco crime thriller Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac, and the 1985 Clive Barker adaptation Underworld (a.k.a. Transmutations). Now our friends at Bloody Disgusting have learned that five more Kino Cult Blu-ray releases are set for August 20th, and there’s a theme to this batch: they’re all “nature run amok” horror movies! Most of them are movies I love to watch, too. Here’s the line-up: The Food of the Gods, Empire of the Ants, Frogs, Squirm, and Kingdom of the Spiders. Each one is available for pre-order on Amazon, and each of these...

Horror movies are often intense experiences, sometimes not just for the audience but also for the cast and crew making them behind-the-scenes. From maintaining raw emotions on high for effective performances to less than ideal filming conditions, making a horror movie can be grueling work, to the point that some actors occasionally regret starring in them. 

On top of the heightened rigors of the job, the attention to gruesome detail in capturing such visceral material can literally make the actors on set sick to their stomachs. There are numerous horror movies that went so hard that they made the actors involved physically ill during the production. This ranges from the physical extremes of method acting and abusively megalomaniacal directors to actors becoming severely sick during filming. However, no matter the ailment, the show must go on, often with those afflicted actors' performances in the final film. Here are the biggest...

A new episode of the Real Slashers video series has just been released, and with this one we’re looking back at one of the more popular installments in the franchise that shares its name with our favorite holiday, Halloween. The movie is 1981’s Halloween II (watch it Here), and to hear all about it, check out the video embedded above!

Directed by Rick Rosenthal from a screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, Halloween II has the following synopsis: John Carpenter’s Halloween scared the living daylights out of 25 million people and set a precedent in smashing box-office records for a horror film. And now, prepare yourself to go one step further as the nightmare continues in Halloween II. Picking up precisely where its predecessor left off, Halloween II follows the same ill-fated characters as they encounter the knife-wielding terror they left for dead in the first Halloween. But...

Last year, Fright Rags got their “Stop the Killer” series of board games started with a board game inspired by the 1984 killer Santa classic Silent Night, Deadly Night (watch it Here). That was followed by a board game inspired by another classic slasher, the 1981 film My Bloody Valentine (watch it Here). And now Fright Rags has announced that they’ll be staying in 1981 for their third “film to board game” Stop the Killer project, which will be based on Halloween II (watch that Here)!

Details on the Halloween II board game are being kept under wraps for now. All Fright Rags has revealed is the cover art, which can be seen at the bottom of this article. But it’s probably safe to assume that the Halloween II game will be along the same lines as the other two games in the Stop the Killer series, which were created with...

We had a video series here at JoBlo and Arrow in the Head called Where It Was Made a while back. Hosted and directed by Ryan Cultrera, the show was all about “revisiting the actual filming locations for some of the most popular films ever made and seeing how they’re holding up today, all while examining just how these locations were used in the finished film.” The premiere episode, released in 2015, gave a tour of the locations used for filming the 1978 classic Halloween. This Halloween, Where It Was Made is making its triumphant return in the most appropriate way possible: with an episode that gives a tour of the locations that were used for filming the 1981 sequel Halloween II (watch it Here)! You can watch this new episode of Where It Was Made in the embed above.

Directed by Rick Rosenthal from a screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill,...

Schlock should never be a dirty word in the world of cinema. Some of my favorite films are utterly devoid of taste and frequently, refinement. The majority of drive-in treasures lie somewhere between perspiration and inspiration, covered in flop sweat and trying desperately to entertain. This is often where you’ll find the films distributed by American International Pictures, and always where you’ll see director Bert I. Gordon’s oeuvre. Empire of the Ants (1977) is no exception.

Released by Aip in July and bringing in $2.5 million, Empire was the follow up to Gordon and producer Samuel Z. Arkoff’s success from the previous year, The Food of the Gods, another “loose” H.G. Wells adaptation, and was an even bigger hit (in B.I.G. terms, anyway—everything’s relative, folks). Naturally dismissed by critics, Empire continues the winning Gordon formula of B stars and groovy, goofy, rear projection grisliness.

Ah, Michael Myers. One of cinema's most notorious serial killers; pure evil on two legs. And whereas 'Psycho' is often considered the granddaddy of the "slasher" film, that'd make John Carpenter's original 1978 classic the "daddy" of this particular horror sub-genre. As is often noted, the original 'Halloween' has very little in terms of on screen violence and gore, yet it boasts some of horror's most memorable "kills." The sequels naturally upped the ante. It's no surprise that by the time they got to 'Halloween 6,' the original & now infamous producer's cut had portions re-shot with gore inserted to match what was going in the 'Friday The 13th' series at the time. Some of these outrageous kills feel tonally right for a 'Halloween' movie, others don't. But for better or for worse, Michael's always held his own against the competition! And since it's Halloween, we thought we'd...

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Lance Guest, Jeffrey Kramer, Pamela Susan Shoop, Dick Warlock, Leo Rossi | Written by John Carpenter, Debra Hill | Directed by Rick Rosenthal

I wonder what John Carpenter was initially thinking when he ended his career making an undeniably genre defining film, Halloween. When he was writing his screenplay (a brilliant one, at that) with Debra Hill, did he stop and think that A) He was a huge fan of nihilistic endings and what a terrifying feeling it would be for audiences to go home, no doubt the sprawling suburbs featured in his film, or B) He knew deep down that it was sequel bait and by making the film he would go on to make the single, highest grossing independent film of all time. If I was a betting man, and I’m not, I’d still choose A. It was a stamp,...

Attention Los Angeles area…be on the lookout for a strange individual wielding a large butcher knife wearing what appears to be a modified William Shatner mask. That's right, Michael Myers is coming to the City of Angels this Saturday with a screening of Halloween II at the New Bev.

Screening Saturday, October 27 at midnight as part of Brian Collins'Horror Movie A Day Series and New Beverly Midnights, Halloween II, of course, was directed by Rick Rosenthal and written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Tawny Moyer, Ana Alicia, Ford Rainey, Gloria Gifford and Leo Rossi.

The New Beverly Cinema is located at 7165 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles CA. Tickets are only $8 and can be purchased here. Dig the cool custom artwork below and enjoy your night with the boogeyman!

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Halloween II

Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Lance Guest, Jeffrey Kramer, Pamela Susan Shoop, Dick Warlock, Leo Rossi | Written by John Carpenter, Debra Hill | Directed by Rick Rosenthal

I wonder what John Carpenter was initially thinking when he ended his career making and undeniably genre defining film, Halloween. When he was writing his screenplay (a brilliant one, at that) with Debra Hill, did he stop and think that A) He was a huge fan of nihilistic endings and what a terrifying feeling it would be for audiences to go home, no doubt the sprawling suburbs featured in his film, or B) He knew deep down that it was sequel bait and by making the film he would go on to make the single, highest grossing independent film of all time. If I was a betting man, and I’m not, I’d still choose A. It was a stamp,...

Directed by: Rick Rosenthal

Written by; John Carpenter, Debra Hill

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Charles Cyphers

This review was originally slated for last October. However, just days after viewing the Halloween 2 30th Anniversary Edition disc, the Moustapha Akkad credit controversy sort of eclipsed the release. If you’ll recall, when the much-anticipated Blu-ray debuted last fall, fans noticed the opening credits had been altered. Universal had replaced Akkad’s “presents” credit with a Universal/McA card.

The late Akkad, an executive producer on all eight original Halloween films, was the key person responsible for the longevity of the series. Fans were outraged and started an online petition to encourage Universal to replace the original credit. The studio eventually acquiesced and gave fans the opportunity to exchange their altered DVD for a copy with the original credit. Since the replacement copies have finally...

Rank the week of September 13th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Thor

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #227

Win Percentage: 58%

Times Ranked: 18033

Top-20 Rankings: 90

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Chris Hemsworth • Natalie Portman • Anthony Hopkins • Jeremy Renner • Kat Dennings

Genres: Action • Adventure • Based-on-Comics • Comic-Book Superhero Film • Fantasy • Fantasy Adventure

Rank This Movie

Conan O’Brien Can’T Stop

(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)

Flickchart Ranking: #5260

Win Percentage: 54%

Times Ranked: 719

Top-20 Rankings: 5

Directed By: Rodman Flender

Starring: Conan O’Brien

Genres: Comedy • Documentary

Rank This Movie

Incendies

(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #4296

Win Percentage: 51%

Times Ranked: 947

Top-20 Rankings: 8

Directed By: Denis Villeneuve

Starring: Lubna Azabal • Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin • Maxim Gaudette • Rémy Girard • Abdelghafour Elaaziz

Genres: Drama • Foreign Language Film

Rank This Movie

The Tempest

(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2010)

Flickchart Ranking: #7784

Win Percentage: 37%

Times Ranked: 385

Top-20 Rankings: 2

Directed By: Julie Taymor

Starring: Helen Mirren • Djimon Hounsou • Alfred Molina...

Directed by Brian Feeney

Written Brian Feeney and John Ross

Starring Alisha Seaton, Jeannie Bolet, Melissa Lee, and Judy Clement

After the brutal and somewhat otherworldly death of Rachel (Angela Landis) - a woman already long thought dead – it becomes clear that there are some things her ex-lover April (Alisha Seaton) has never comes to term with.

For instance, she’s never revealed to anyone that she is raising Rachel’s daughter Sarah (Melissa Lee) as her own. Rachel’s posthumous return begins to wreak havoc as Sarah begins having visions of her. And that’s just the least of April’s problems because they’ve now fallen under the radar of a crazy scientist named Anne Cassavettes (Judy Clement) who needs Sarah’s extrasensory powers and will do anything to get her.

There are so many elements to be tinkered with in the world of the supernatural horror genre.

I know, I know… How many times can this one be written or read about? Well, the fact is Halloween II wasn’t my first pick to revisit this go-round.

I was torn betwixt this:

Then the unseasonably warm weather here in Louisville finally dropped enough degrees to warrant taking walks around the block, hoping to spot pale-masked men peeking at me from behind neighbors’ hedges.

Unable to muster the inspiration to type a word about any film not starring Michael Myers, I quickly realized that I had to delve into More of the Night He Came Home.

My passion for this sequel probably starts with that artwork. Born the same year this fine film was released, I certainly took in the VHS art plenty of times before taping the flick off USA ,October 31st, 1990. VHS cover art aside, I gotta confess: I will always adore any film poster that...

It’s ironic. The profession of horror journalism (or horror literature of filmmaking for that matter), at least for this writer, was initially and unsurprisingly inspired by my love of all things Halloween; yet, the subsequent October workload which has resulted often forces me to miss the simple trappings that launched my macabre interest in the first place.

Given that, this season I’ve taken a few moments – with my black cat curled upon my lap (she’s ‘Halloween’ all year round) - to compose a list of the filmic treats which allow me to revel most in this season of seasons.

So if you’ll allow me to indulge, sit back with a pumpkin spiced latte (or pumpkin martini, as in my case) and hopefully enjoy the following list of Halloween, burnt-umber cinematic offerings of things that stab (with butcher knife or lollipop), toilet paper or make your little creepy hearts smile.

After pulling in $47 million in domestic box office from a $325,000 budget, it was inevitable that a sequel to John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ would be in the works sooner rather than later. Not only was ‘Halloween’ a financial success, and not only was it a critical success, it sparked something in the world of horror filmmaking. As of 1978, the slasher film was born, and, after 1980’s ‘Friday the 13th,’ the people behind a ‘Halloween’ sequel knew the masses wouldn’t be satisfied with the tension-filled air Carpenter’s first film projected. They knew they had to up the body count and give audiences exactly what they wanted. What resulted in ‘Halloween II,’ is a horror fans grab bag, a mixture of both suspense, atmosphere and enough blood to go around.

Picking up mere seconds after Carpenter’s film ends, ‘Halloween II,’ continues the “night he came home.” Laurie Strode, played by Jamie Lee Curtis,...

The new Captain Kirk’s real Dad, Robert Pine, has a “cocktail conversation” about battling Empire Of The Ants.

Audiences are getting accustomed to Chris Pine as the newJames T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, but not many people know that he comes from an acting family, including his grandmother (the late Anne Gwynne, seen in House Of Frankenstein and 1941’s The Black Cat), his Mom (Masters Of The Universe’s Gwynne Gilford) and his Dad, Robert Pine—who’s best known as the boss on TV’s CHiPs and the Mayor on Black Scorpion. And, of course, the elder Pine was also part of the anti-insect ensemble in Empire Of The Ants.

Robert Pine offers his testimony on the experience: “My agent told me, ‘I’ve got a film for you. It’s called Empire Of The Ants.’ I thought about it for a moment and said, ‘You know…...

As far as movie nakedness goes, do you prefer the comedic kind (think of Mike Meyers, John Cleese or Graham Chapman) or do your tastes run more towards the sexy stuff like Daryl Hannah, Brigitte Bardot and (sigh) Beverly D'Angelo in National Lampoon's Vacation! I only ask because a goofy little bracket game just went up at the Entertainment Weekly website, and since any blog post with the word "nude" in it gets massive traffic, I just figured the game was worth mentioning on a boring Monday afternoon.

Basically you click right here and then vote your way through a series of tourney-style brackets, picking the most memorable nude scene each time out. Of course Borat is in there, and so is Will Ferrell, so I'm thinking that Ew (and voxpop.tv) should have split the titillating tournament into two divisions: The silly stuff and the sexy stuff. Ah, but...