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Since rising to prominence in the 1960s & '70s, Werner Herzog is known for his thought-provoking and unconventional films that challenge traditional storytelling. With masterpieces like Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo, and Grizzly Man, Herzog is a filmmaker who enjoys delving into themes of obsession, isolation, and man against nature. His first film, Signs of Life, is no different.

With very little action or conflict, the film focuses on a German soldier’s descent into madness. While the film received mixed reception at the time of its release for its unconventional themes of war, it has since become one of the most recognized films in Herzog’s career. And, as with most Herzog films, it demands attention for its introspective look at the psychological effects of war and isolation.

Signs of Life Follows One Man’s Descent into Madness

Signs of Life follows Stroszek (Peter Brogle), a German soldier...

With theaters flooded over the recent holiday season by animated and CGI-dependent PG-rated fare, it’s reassuring to see a family film that relies on live action, impressive production values and inventive story elements, rather than the enhancements provided by digital technology.

The Legend of Ochi gives free rein to writer-director Isaiah Saxon’s remarkably imaginative narrative and visual palette, leveraging his well-regarded reputation directing music videos for the likes of Bjork and Grizzly Bear for a fantastical tale brimming with adventure and originality. With A24 targeting an April spring break release date, Saxon’s debut feature looks poised to capitalize on a recent upswing in family moviegoing.

The film opens with a swooping aerial shot over the mysterious island of Carpathia, secreted somewhere in the broad expanse of the Black Sea. The fictional territory off the coast of Romania sustains a small population of hearty villagers, along with the previously unknown ochi,...

The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that production has wrapped on Grizzly Night, a fact-based “nature run amok” movie that marks the first feature project for a newly launched production company called FourJFilms. The film stars Charles Esten (Outer Banks), Brec Bassinger (Stargirl), Oded Fehr (The Mummy), Jack Griffo (The Thundermans), Josh Zuckerman (Oppenheimer), Joel Johnstone (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and Matt Lintz (Ms. Marvel).

Directed by Burke Doeren, Grizzly Night centers on the courageous actions of a young Glacier National Park ranger to help keep visitors safe amid two grizzly bear attacks in the summer of 1967.

Doeren and Kellie Doeren of 22 Waves Creative are producing the film with Lauren Call. Tyson Call, the founder of FourJFilms, serves as an executive producer. Grizzly Night filmed outside of Park City, Utah, and The Hollywood Reporter notes that FourJFilms “aims to prioritize productions that will shoot in Utah, with a...

Les Arcs Industry Village, the professional platform of Les Arcs Film Festival, handed out 14 awards at its 16th edition on Monday, December 16).

Winners included Floor Van der Meulen’s Happy Days, recipient of the €20,000 Eurimages co-production development award in the coproduction village.

Scroll down for the full list of winners

Produced by the Netherlands’ Keplerfilm, Happy Days follows a grandmother who risks burnout in trying to care for her grandchildren.

The film has €101,000 of a projected €2.6m budget in place, and is aiming for a late 2025 shoot ahead of a summer 2026 delivery.

The jury praised “a character rarely seen onscreen but omnipresent in our societies.

Abertoir Horror Festival is back for its 19th year, returning to Aberystwyth Arts Centre from 14th to 17th November for in-person screenings, followed by a virtual event on 23rd and 24th November. The festival, with a theme dedicated to the terrifying world of killer animals and nature’s revenge, has seen such high demand this year that it has expanded to a larger auditorium to accommodate more horror fans.

“We’ve been truly blown away by the support for this year’s event,” said Festival Director Gaz Bailey. “We’re grateful to have been able to move to a bigger auditorium so we can accommodate even more audience members this year.” The expanded venue promises a grander experience with a massive screen, amplifying the festival’s signature thrills.

Abertoir’s line-up this year offers a mix of fresh premieres and horror classics. Welsh audiences will get the first look at Dead Talents Society,...

The Les Arcs Film Festival has announced the 18 in development film projects selected for its 16th Les Arcs Coproduction Village, aimed at connecting the upcoming features with coproducers, sales agents, distributors and other financing partners.

The copro meeting will take place within the context of Alpine festival’s industry program running December 14 to 17.

Sixteen of the 18 projects are directed by female filmmakers, with 38% of the features submitted directed by women. Ten are first fiction feature projects, seven are second features and one is by a more established filmmaker.

They include Ukrainian director Anastasiia Solonevych’s debut feature 30 Days Of Summer, about two sisters who reconnect against the backdrop of a military training camp. Solonevych won the Cannes Palme d’Or for Best Short Film in 2023 for As It Was.

German director Sophie Linnenbaum, whose 2022 fantasy drama The Ordinaries enjoyed a buzzy awards and festival run, will participate with second fiction feature The Nose.

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: Scared of a Spider Bite Birthing a Thousand Spiders on Your Face? In ‘The Manitou,’ It’s Worse.

At a certain point in time, we lived in a world where we could wander into a movie playing on some random network (Rip Upn) and get sucked in with no knowledge of what it was, the behind-the-scenes stories it held, or even a whiff of IMDb trivia. It was a sad, bleak era. That is how I happened upon “The Manitou” one lazy summer Sunday. Everything about this oddball horror movie...

Clockwise from bottom left: Halloween (Compass International Pictures); Hellbound: Hellraiser II (New World Pictures); Mandy (XYZ Films); Re-Animator (Empire Pictures); Chopping Mall (Concorde Pictures) (Screenshots: YouTube)Graphic: The A.V. Club

We’re halfway to Halloween, and even though October 31 is still six months away, there’s still one place...

You can never underestimate the power of hearsay. Sometimes, something sounding like it could be true is enough to convince people that it must be. And while this phenomenon can have disastrous real-world consequences when applied to science and politics, it’s also responsible for some memorable instances of collective storytelling.

From hook-handed murderers to gerbils becoming stuck inside famous actors, urban legends are the modern equivalent to ancient campfire stories about werewolves and vampires – which is why it makes sense that they’ve inspired some of most beloved genre films. And with so many of these allegedly “true” stories to choose from, we’ve decided to come up with a list highlighting six of the most underrated movies based on urban legends.

Naturally, we’ll be shying away from more popular films like Candyman and Jamie Blanks’ Urban Legend, but don’t forget to comment below with your own...

Quick Links Rarely Affectionate (Part 2) Quest Walkthrough Rewards For Completing The Rarely Affectionate (Part 2) Quest

One of the missions in Honkai: Star Rail, called Rarely Affectionate (Part 2), acts as a side quest you can complete to gain a new crew member. The objective of this quest is the second part of a journey to fix Pascal, a robot companion of the character Clara. From dangerous battles to a few puzzles, there are even some choices you'll have to make to recruit someone to the Astral Express crew.

After the Sinners Misled and Credence Falsified main story quests, the Rarely Affectionate series of missions will open up for you to pursue. You must be Trailblaze Level 34 to receive the first messages from the character Clara in Honkai: Star Rail that marks the Robot Settlement as the starting point for this quest. Clara will ask for help regarding Pascal in the Belobog area,...

Jaws was a sensation unlike any movie before it: it launched not only the idea of the summer blockbuster but the mass fear of sharks and the ocean that remains prevalent to this day. It also kick-started a trend for shark movies that in one way or another took great inspiration from Jaws, as the documentary Sharksploitation explores in great detail. Some just decided marine predators were a cool angle, like Piranha; some went with the same premise but in a different location, like Grizzly; others were so like Jaws that they got into legal trouble, and the most egregious of these offenders was a janky little TV-movie from Italy imaginably titled Cruel Jaws. Not only did it look like Jaws and swim like Jaws, but it lifted footage directly from the entire Jaws franchise, and when it came to 21st-century home media releases, this presented a bit of a problem.

Cocaine Bear might have taken the pop culture world by storm earlier this year, but there's an even more thrilling killer animal movie coming soon in Slotherhouse. While Cocaine Bear might have gained immense attention, especially since it was based on a true story, the concept of killer animals as movie antagonists is nothing new. Jaws may have put the subgenre on the map, but killer animal movies have existed since the 1920s. In fact, Cocaine Bear wasn't even the first of its kind to follow a bear; that accolade went to 1976's Grizzly.

Though considered "animal horror," the subgenre is encompassed by a more extensive range of living creatures who traditionally target humans. Before Jaws, Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds served as one of the best mainstream killer animal movie releases. As the decades went on, there were movies centered on all types of natural horrors, including insects (Them!

Ban and Elaine's romance comes to life in this impressive cosplay of The Seven Deadly Sins couple.

The Instagram users Dantiise and Cospleo took to the platform to give their renditions of the popular anime couple, with the former as Elaine and the latter as Ban. Each cosplayer shared a collection of photos showing off the characters in an array of poses, all focusing on the romance and intimacy between them. They both sport anime-accurate costumes that take all the details of the characters into account.

Related: One Piece Nico Robin Is a Picture-Perfect Straw Hat Pirate in Accurate Cosplay

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dantiise (@dantiise) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dantiise (@dantiise) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dantiise (@dantiise) The Picture-Perfect Ban and Elaine Cosplay

Dantiise wears a flowing white dress with sleeves taken almost directly from the source material,...

Sharon Van Etten has shared “Quiet Eyes,” her contribution to the soundtrack to Celine Song’s new A24 film Past Lives. Check it out below.

Written and performed alongside Zachary Dawes, “Quiet Eyes” feels like a lost 1960s girl group ballad thanks to its cinematic percussion and sweeping strings. In the song, Van Etten describes “mosaic faces fading in the rain” before wondering, “Is this really a mystery life? We’re running from our own mistakes.” It’s the type of theatrical writing you’d expect for a song soundtracking a romance movie in which old friends reconnect decades after first meeting.

In addition to Van Etten’s new original song, the Past Lives soundtrack features a score by Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear. So far, the artists have shared the songs “Why Are You Going to New York” and “Across the Ocean;” the full soundtrack arrives June 9th via A24 Music,...

The film world is still reeling from the recent loss of actor Rick Dalton, whose passing was first announced on May 19th, 2023 by The Video Archives Podcast's official Twitter account. Dalton, who passed away at his Honolulu, Hawaii home (shortly after celebrating his 90th birthday in April), is survived by his wife, one-time Italian starlet Francesca Cappucci.

The Video Archives Podcast, created and hosted by filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, aired an episode on May 22nd that is apparently part one of a multi-episode run that revolves around the directors' memories of Dalton and his work.

While other friends and fans of the actor such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt have yet to make any official statements or remembrances, Tarantino has made sure that Dalton's name isn't fading into the ether like so many stars of yesteryear. The "Pulp Fiction" director made sure to include a tribute to...

Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear have announced that the soundtrack they’ve made for Celine Song’s upcoming A24 film, Past Lives, will be released on June 9th via A24 Music. They’ve also shared two singles from the project, “Why Are You Going to New York” and “Across the Ocean.”

Open, airy, subtle, and melodic, both “Why Are You Going to New York” and “Across the Ocean” speak to the musicianship Rossen and Bear have been demonstrating since Grizzly Bear first hit the scene nearly 20 years ago. They embrace a familiar, acoustic production palette as well — listening to the songs, it’s easy to feel like you’re in a big, open room with the musicians, engulfed by the pianos and strings as sunlight pours in through the windows.

In addition to Rossen and Bear’s scoring, the soundtrack will also feature an original song: “Quiet Eyes,...

Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear have announced that the soundtrack they’ve made for Celine Song’s upcoming A24 film, Past Lives, will be released on June 9th via A24 Music. They’ve also shared two singles from the project, “Why Are You Going to New York” and “Across the Ocean.”

Open, airy, subtle, and melodic, both “Why Are You Going to New York” and “Across the Ocean” speak to the musicianship Rossen and Bear have been demonstrating since Grizzly Bear first hit the scene nearly 20 years ago. They embrace a familiar, acoustic production palette as well — listening to the songs, it’s easy to feel like you’re in a big, open room with the musicians, engulfed by the pianos and strings as sunlight pours in through the windows.

In addition to Rossen and Bear’s scoring, the soundtrack will also feature an original song: “Quiet Eyes,...

Cocaine Bear is rocking moviegoers everywhere this weekend, but long before this new coked-out beast terrorized innocent civilians, there was another living tank tearing folks up on the silver screen. We're talkin' 1976's Grizzly, a supreme Jaws ripoff in every sense, but the movie rocks so hard that you stop caring. It's exactly what you expect. Grizzly is the story of a park ranger who is given the task of saving the visitors of his national park from an 18-foot-tall man-eating grizzly bear. Oh yeah - nothing but a good time!

As Showtime prepares to launch Season 2 of its hit thriller “Yellowjackets,” the network is bringing the show to Austin’s South by Southwest festival next month via a three-day interactive popup.

“Camp Yellowjackets” will open the first weekend of SXSW, from Friday, March 10 to Sunday, March 12, at the Fair Market in Austin. The installation kicks off with a private opening event on Friday, and then will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ct on Saturday and Sunday.

The “Camp Yellowjackets” experience will create the look of a 1990s-era summer camp that has been abandoned. Visitors will be able to spot hidden Easter eggs from the show while exploring the campsite. Among the activities on site will be ax throwing, BBQ and specialty cocktails. Fans can find more information at CampYellowjackets.com.

“Camp Yellowjackets is an exclusive, excitingly unsettling, ‘Yellowjackets’-themed destination,” said Puja Vohra, executive VP of marketing at Showtime Networks.

Fans of the Halloween franchise received some sad news today, as it has been confirmed that stuntman George P. Wilbur – who played horror icon Michael Myers in both Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995), the sixth entry in the series – has passed away at the age of 81.

Wilbur’s fellow Michael Myers performer Chris Durand, who played the character in 1998’s Halloween H20, broke the news of his passing on Facebook earlier today: “George P. Wilbur passed away last night. George, you were a class act and well loved. You will be missed. May you Rest in Peace.” Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers screenwriter Daniel Farrands reacted to the news by saying, “Very sad to hear of George’s passing. He was such a kind soul and a beloved member of the Halloween family.“

Born on March 6, 1941 in Connecticut, Wilbur served...

Bloody Disgusting has learned the sad news this afternoon that actor and stuntman George P. Wilbur has passed away at 81 years old.

A member of the Hollywood Stuntmen’s Hall of Fame, George P. Wilbur is most known to horror fans for playing Michael Myers in both Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers.

Wilbur is one of only a small handful of actors to play Michael Myers more than once.

He was also a stunt player on Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.

George P. Wilbur’s career began with stand-in work for John Wayne in the 1960s, and he went on to amass over 100 television and film credits spanning six decades.

Other films on Wilbur’s resume as a stunt man, stunt double and stunt coordinator include Planet of the Apes (1968), Blazing Saddles, The Towering Inferno, Grizzly, Escape from New York,...

The Notebook Primer introduces readers to some of the most important figures, films, genres, and movements in film history.The Last Winter (2006).What I am suggesting is that the imagery of disaster…is above all the emblem of an inadequate response. I do not mean to bear down on the films for this. They themselves are only a sampling, stripped of sophistication, of the inadequacy of most people's response to the unassimilable terrors that infect their consciousness.—Susan Sontag, The Imagination of DisasterOn 15 March 2022, an eastern Antarctic ice shelf the size of New York City collapsed into the ocean. Climate change is accelerating faster than anticipated, and the window in which to correct centuries of carbon dumping before setting off a sixth mass extinction event is minuscule, if not already slammed shut. Humanity has had decades to take action, but like a deer frozen in the headlights of an oncoming SUV,...

After working at quite a steady clip the last few decades, the usually intrepid 79-year-old Werner Herzog has had a rightfully quiet pandemic. We’ve now finally learned what he’s been working on as news has arrived of his next documentary.

The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, backed by Abacus Media Rights, tells the story of the French volcanologists, which were not only brought up in Herzog’s previous film Into the Inferno––his 2016 collaboration with volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer––but are also the subjects of this year’s Sundance sensation Fire of Love.

Herzog’s film, which he of course narrates, pulls from the over 200 hours of footage the duo left behind following their death in 1991 at the base of a volcanic explosion. It’ll certainly be interesting to contrast Herzog’s take on the tale after Sara Dosa’s documentary, which features voiceover narration...

The 12th annual Knoxville Horror Film Festival is taking place this October! Those looking for socially distant opportunities this Halloween season can see classic horror films on the big screen at the drive-in, along with special screenings of The Stylist and Grizzly II: Revenge.

From the Press Release: Knoxville, Tennessee — The Knoxville Horror Film Fest will present its twelfth annual weekend of cinematic scares Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25, with programming split between Maryville, Tennessee’s Parkway Drive-In, the nearby The Bird & The Book, and the festival’s home base at Central Cinema in Knoxville.

After years hosting key screenings at a local multiplex, Khff’s move to the Parkway is both a Covid-era safety precaution and the fulfillment of a long-term goal, reflected in a dream lineup of drive-in chillers: Friday night features Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 (1987) and J.P. Simon’s Pieces (1982), while Saturday offers a...

As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we recorded a new bonus episode of Corpse Club!

Recorded by Corpse Club co-hosts Derek Anderson and Jonathan James, our new bonus episode is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy! Listen as Derek and Jonathan discuss a wide range of horror-themed topics, including their favorite Christmas horror gifts they received this holiday season, post-holiday horror shopping and screenings, the wonderfully weird manga by artist and writer Junji Ito (including his new manga adaptation of Osamu Dazai's novel No Longer Human), and the gruesome gameplay of Resident Evil 7. So, whether you’re still savoring the holiday season or you’re looking ahead to a new year of horror, Corpse Club members can sit back, relax, and enjoy this new bonus episode of Daily Dead’s podcast!

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new episode,...

As a special Friday the 13th treat for all Daily Dead readers and Corpse Club listeners, we recorded a new audio commentary to John Carl Buechler's Friday the 13th Part VII – The New Blood!

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-hosts Bryan Christopher and Scott Drebit, along with special guests Patrick Hamilton and Gena Radcliffe from the Kill by Kill podcast, this audio commentary is a special gift for all Daily Dead readers and Corpse Club listeners to unwrap and enjoy!

The next time you watch Friday the 13th Part VII, you can listen as Scott, Bryan, Patrick, and Gena take a deep dive into the 1988 sequel, including the film's palpable practical effects, Tina Shepard's telekinetic powers, the haunting unmasking of Jason Voorhees, the film's most memorable kills, and the intense performances by Lar Park Lincoln and Kane Hodder.

You can listen to our new Friday the 13th Part...

As a special Halloween treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we recorded a new bonus episode of Corpse Club!

Recorded by Corpse Club co-hosts Tamika Jones, Derek Anderson, and Jonathan James, our new bonus episode is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy!

Listen as Tamika, Derek, and Jonathan talk about their recent screenings at home and at the theater, including The Lighthouse, Zombieland: Double Tap, and 2004’s The Punisher. The co-hosts also embrace the scary side of the season by discussing their go-to holiday horror movies, ranging from Black Christmas (1974) and Krampus to Christmas Evil and Rare Exports. As a special early gift for their viewing pleasure, each member of the trio also selects a holiday horror movie they've never seen to watch this month.

So, whether you’ve been naughty, nice, or somewhere in-between, take a break from holiday shopping, put your feet up,...

As a special Halloween treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we recorded a new audio commentary to Tommy Lee Wallace's Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-hosts Scott Drebit and Bryan Christopher, the Halloween III audio commentary is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy!

The next time you watch Halloween III, you can listen as Scott and Bryan take a deep dive into the 1982 horror film, including how it took the Halloween franchise in a vastly different direction, its festive autumnal atmosphere, Tom Atkins’ memorable performance, and the catchy tunes of the Silver Shamrock commercial jingle.

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so the next time you watch Halloween III: Season of the Witch, all you have to do is press "play" to listen to Scott and Bryan’s new audio commentary.

As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we recorded a new bonus episode of Corpse Club!

Recorded by Corpse Club co-hosts Derek Anderson and Jonathan James, our new bonus episode is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy! Listen as Derek and Jonathan discuss a wide range of horror-themed topics, including Derek’s favorite movies and experiences at the Popcorn Frights Film Festival, Jonathan’s latest horror movie marathon at home, and what each of the co-hosts are doing to prep for this year’s Halloween festivities. So, whether you’re already carving pumpkins or you’re busy planning your own Halloween celebrations, kick back, relax, and enjoy a bonus episode of Daily Dead’s podcast!

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so be sure to keep an eye out for it in your inbox!

There's more bonus content to come.

As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we recorded a new audio commentary to Eric Weston's Evilspeak!

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-hosts Scott Drebit and Bryan Christopher, the Evilspeak audio commentary is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy! The next time you watch Evilspeak, you can listen as Scott and Bryan take a deep dive into the early ’80s horror movie, including its military academy setting, potent blend of ancient dark magic and computer technology, vengeful take on bullying, and memorable performances from a cast led by Clint Howard.

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so the next time you watch Evilspeak, all you have to do is press "play" to listen to Scott and Bryan's new audio commentary. It’s just like watching a movie with the Corpse Club... just be sure to save us some popcorn!

Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Metrograph

A Vincente Minnelli retrospective is underway.

The Cremator has been restored.

Alphaville and Holy Motors have late-night showings, while The Golden Voyage of Sinbad screens in the morning.

The Spook Who Sat by the Door plays on Sunday.

Film Forum

Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks have curated a series of two-for one double features.

As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we recorded a new audio commentary to John Carpenter's The Thing to help cool off during the summer heat!

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-hosts Bryan Christopher and Derek Anderson, The Thing audio commentary is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy as an ice-cold treat in the summer heat! The next time you watch Carpenter's The Thing, you can listen as Bryan and Derek take a deep dive into the 1982 remake, including its isolated arctic setting, creeping sense of dread, palpable paranoia, memorable performances from a cast led by Kurt Russell, and groundbreaking (and nightmare-inducing) practical effects from Rob Bottin and his fellow crew members.

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so the next time you watch Carpenter's The Thing, all you have to do is press...

As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we've recorded a new audio commentary to Michael A. Simpson's Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers!

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-host Bryan Christopher and special guest Joe Lipsett, the new Sleepaway Camp II audio commentary is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy! The next time you watch Sleepaway Camp II, you can listen as Bryan and Joe take a deep dive into the 1988 horror comedy, including its summer camp setting, memorable murders, killer blend of humor and horror, and Pamela Springsteen's portrayal of Angela.

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so the next time you watch Sleepaway Camp II, all you have to do is press "play" to listen to Bryan and Joe's new audio commentary. It’s like watching a movie with the Corpse Club.

As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we've recorded a new audio commentary to Jim Wynorski's Chopping Mall.

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-hosts and Horror BFFs Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley, the new Chopping Mall audio commentary is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy! The next time you watch Chopping Mall, you can listen as Heather and Patrick take a deep dive into the 1986 sci-fi horror film, including its killer robots, totally rad mall setting, and its memorable performances by Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, Barbara Crampton, and more!

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so the next time you watch Chopping Mall, all you have to do is press "play" to listen to Heather and Patrick's new audio commentary. It’s like watching a movie with the Corpse Club... just be sure to save us some popcorn!

April 16th will see the release of both The Manitou and Superstition on Blu-ray and we have new details on both titles straight from Scream Factory:

"Horror enthusiasts and classic movie collectors rejoice! On April 16, Scream Factory™ is proud to present the 1978 supernatural cult classic The Manitou Blu-ray and horror classic Superstition Blu-ray. Produced and directed by William Girdler and based on the best-selling novel by Graham Masterton, The Manitou stars Tony Curtis (Spartacus), Michael Ansara (I Dream of Jeannie), Susan Strasberg (Scream of Fear), Stella Stevens (The Silencers), Burgess Meredith (Rocky), Jon Cedar (Death Hunt), and Ann Sothern (The Whale of August). Directed by James Roberson (The Giant of Thunder Mountain) and produced by Ed Carlin (Battle Beyond the Stars), Superstition stars James Houghton (The Colbys), Albert Salmi (Caddyshack), Lynn Carlin (Faces), and Larry Pennell (Bubba Ho-Tep).

A must-have for collectors, The Manitou Blu-ray boasts new 4K scan from...

As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we head back to high school with a new audio commentary to Herb Freed's Graduation Day.

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-host Scott Drebit and Daily Dead columnist Bryan Christopher, the new audio commentary to Graduation Day is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy! The next time you watch Graduation Day (which is now available to stream on Amazon Prime), you can listen as Scott and Bryan take a deep dive into the 1981 horror movie, including its creative slasher kills, nostalgic high school setting, and memorable performances by Christopher George, Linnea Quigley, and Vanna White.

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so the next time you watch Graduation Day, all you have to do is press "play" to listen to Scott and Bryan's new audio commentary. It’s...

"Over 18 feet tall. Over 2000 pounds. The largest carnivorous ground beast in the world." As a special treat for those in our Corpse Club membership system, we head into the woods with a new audio commentary to William Girdler's Grizzly!

Recorded by Corpse Club podcast co-host Scott Drebit and Daily Dead columnist Bryan Christopher, the new audio commentary to William Girdler's Grizzly is an exclusive gift for Corpse Club members to enjoy! The next time you watch Grizzly (which is now available to stream on Amazon Prime), you can listen as Scott and Bryan take a deep dive into the 1976 horror movie, including its similarities to Jaws, the unforgettable performance by Christopher George, and the crafty filmmaking techniques of the late, great William Girdler.

Corpse Club members are being sent an audio file of the new commentary, so the next time you watch Grizzly, all you have to do is...

How much do I love director William Girdler? Let me count the ways: his sense of grandeur in the face of modest budgets, his good naturedly humorous takes on the genre, his willingness to pay “homage” even when it costs him lawsuits, and the stone-cold truth that he got better at his craft with each and every film he made. Case in point: Day of the Animals (1977), the follow up to his smash hit Grizzly (’76) that quintuples down on the attacks in a righteous mélange of Disaster and Animals Gone Wild flicks.

Produced and released by Film Ventures International in May, Day of the Animals (Aka Something Is Out There) had a budget of $1.2 million and brought in only less than triple the cost. Critics were unkind as well, calling the film derivative and goofy. Well, yes, thank you, it is those things; but it’s also a Girdler, which...

There aren’t a ton of absolutes in life, but among a laundry list of things I enjoy whilst spinning around the sun, here’s three: Christopher George, private dicks, and mad scientists. And so imagine my delight when I stumbled across Escape (1971), a failed TV pilot about an ex escape artist turned P.I. who investigates, in his words, “the unexplainable.” And while the pilot doesn’t dip its toes too much into the pool of the unusual, it sure feels like that’s the way they were planning to go.

Not picked up by the network and instead broadcast on April 6th as an ABC Movie of the Week, Escape did little to swerve people away from their Hee Haw’s, All in the Family’s and 60 Minutes for the brass to reconsider putting it back on the slab. What a shame; Escape today plays as Bruce Wayne...

All hail Film Ventures International. Long-time purveyors of cinematic sleaze and genre enchantment, they’ve produced or at least distributed some of my very favorite low budget wonders: Beyond the Door (1974), Grizzly (’76), The Incubus (1981), and Pieces (’82) are only some of their titles that have provided hours of entertainment, from the goofy to the sublime (which in their case, is often one and the same). One of their final releases, The Power (1984), is a good example of their often heady mix, and a solid springboard for directors Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow on their way to their demented mutant mash The Kindred (’87).

Released in late January, The Power (Aka Evil Passage) didn’t do much business; playing in theatres for one weekend and bringing in just under a million dollars, head honcho Edward L. Montoro surely heading out the back door with a bagful of cash on his way to bankrupting the company.

The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) was an unpopular thriller with a clever premise. Laura would have visions whenever a killer attacked someone, and she witnessed the murders through his eyes. Naturally, TV had to take a crack at the premise, which brought us Mind Over Murder (1979), a thriller that adds a few wrinkles to the basic premise and ends up being the more enjoyable of the two.

Originally airing on October 23rd as part of The CBS Tuesday Night Movies, Mind Over Murder bore down against NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies and ABC’s Three’s Company/Taxi/Hart to Hart lineup. Not hard to tell where the majority of viewers planted their eyeballs this night, but those who stayed with “the eye” were treated to a mostly effective thriller with some genuinely unsettling moments. You shouldn’t have too much Tripper in your diet, after all.

Let’s...

[To get you into the spooky spirit, the Daily Dead team is spotlighting double features that we think would be fun to watch this Halloween season. Keep an eye on Daily Dead for more double feature recommendations, and check here for our previous Halloween 2017 coverage.]

It’s always been my dream to own a movie theater and program just my favorite genre fare. Of course, showing nothing but the oeuvre of William Girdler would leave me destitute within a month (okay, a week), so naturally I’d have to expand my programming. I’ve always found that double features are a great tool (and if anyone knows what it’s like to be a great tool, it’s me) for finding the connective tissue between films that may appear to be dissimilar upon a quick pass, or to highlight and illuminate similarities that create an entirely new experience.

First up in my double feature entitled "Why Am I Always The Last To Know?" is Herk Harvey’s Carnival of Souls (1962), a Twilight Zone-ish tale of a young woman who finds herself in a state of disconnect following a car accident, constantly followed by ghoulish visions at every turn.

When I think of some of my favorite B films of the 1970s, my mind tends to drift towards the works of the late filmmaker William Girdler. This man made nine movies in six years before his tragic death in ’78 at the age of thirty; chief among them Abby (’74), Grizzly (’76), and Day of the Animals (’77). Now, quantity obviously doesn’t equal quality, and he made a few outright stinkers. But he was exciting to me because he became a better, more confident filmmaker with each film; this is especially evident with his final release, The Manitou (1978), your typical ancient Native American little person demon growing out of the back of a woman’s neck who fights the heroes in space with laser beams kind of flick. You know the type.

Independently produced, The Manitou was released by Avco Embassy in late April, with a June rollout across North America, and worldwide the following year.

Any horror movie that starts off with a Serlingesque voiceover has my attention. And when you make your antagonist a hulking alien who looks like an eight foot tall Gene Simmons sans Botox with a proclivity for ripping off people’s heads And shooting laser beams out of his eyes, you are granted permission to take all my money. Welcome to The Dark (1979), a fun throwback to a time when audiences weren’t beholden of such things as logic and coherence to have a ripping drive-in experience.

But what audiences do always appreciate is a good cast, strong direction, and some solid jumps. The Dark answers the call though in such an unassuming way that before you could blink, it was gone from theatres (but hung around drive-ins for a bit, as horror films were wont to do). It’s so low key that viewers at the time probably felt...

A haunted house film is a tough sell. No masked stalker, no creatures that eviscerate and certainly no zombies lurching down those shadowed halls. A single setting, a dark secret, a group of people terrified by something is usually your standard template, and even the best haunted house flick doth not stray from the formula. So the trick is to convince the viewers once you get them inside – something that the low on budget, high on conviction, and seldom talked about The Evil (1978) accomplishes admirably.

Barely distributed in May of ‘78 by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures, The Evil was made for $700,000 Us and came and went very quickly. The filmmakers complained about the paltry distribution, but I’m sure Corman turned a profit somewhere down the line – he usually did. So from the modest budget, to the generic sounding title (why not just call it Horror Movie?) to the not exactly topical sub genre,...

Following the massive success of Jaws (1975), producers were chomping at the bit to replicate its grosses. Far too many movies to mention here, but suffice it to say that most were stinkers, and none could put a dent box office – wise in the hull of the Orca. However, one little film somehow managed to not only rake in big bucks in its wake, but paid, ahem, ‘homage’ to the soon to be Universal classic. William Girdler’s Bad Bear Bonanza Grizzly (1976) follows it so closely I’m amazed Jaws doesn’t have a big black snout rammed up its grey finned keister. Regardless of its inspiration, Grizzly is a B movie blast.

Released domestically in May of 1976 by Film Ventures International (and internationally by Columbia Pictures), Grizzly brought in a whopping $39,000,000 Us against a $750,000 budget. An amazing performance at the box office, with no help whatsoever from critics who derided the film as derivative,...

“It’s exactly what you think it is!”

“You don’t have to go to Texas for a Chainsaw Massacre!”

Indeed. It’s not often that a film will tell you exactly their intention, their mission statement, right up front. With a film like Pieces (1982), it’s a badge of honor, worn proudly, a tattered and bloodied flag waving proudly from its mast on the seas of horror. Not only is Pieces exactly what we think it is, it’s so much more – one of the most cheerfully odd, sleazy slashers to come out of the VHS era. Pull out your slickers folks, things are about to get messy.

Filmed in Spain (subbing for Boston, Mass.), Pieces was released there in August of ’82, with a North American run distributed by Film Ventures International in September of ’83. Surprisingly, it did quite well, bringing in over 2 million Us after playing only 104 theatres.

In celebration of Sound on Sight’s 7th anniversary, writers were asked to come up with articles that present their childhood favorites in the realm of films, TV shows, books or games.

I chose films and anyone who has any familiarity with my writing knows I am virtually incapable of writing an article about a single film so I’m going to focus on a number of movies I saw in my youth.

Growing up in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, I was fortunate enough to have my own room and my own TV set.

My family didn’t go out to the cinema very often so my introduction to movies was primarily through television.

The household cable television was limited to the family room and the parental restrictions that went with that so a far as movie watching went, it was mostly just me in my room where there were no...

Kino Lorber and Scorpion Releasing Announce First Eight Titles to be Released Under New Multi-Year Distribution Deal

in August

Kino Lorber and Scorpion Releasing have announces the inaugural releases of eight films under the companies' new multi-year distribution deal. Over the next year and after, there will be additional releases by Kino Lorber from the Scorpion library, including new acquisitions that will be available for the first time.

Among the first selection of titles to be released in August are Green Ice, starring Ryan O'Neal and Omar Sharif; Grizzly, starring Christopher George (both out on DVD August 5th); A Summer Story, starring Susannah York (out g August 12th), the award-winning Australian drama Careful He Might Hear You (out on August 12th), Jack Hill's Sorceress, produced by Roger Corman (out on August 19th); The Girl in a Swing, starring Meg Tilly (out on DVD on August 19th); the acclaimed drama Friendly Fire, starring Carol Burnett, and the 1982 TV movie version of The Elephant Man (both streeting on DVD on August 26th)

"Green Ice"(1981)

Director: Ernest Day

Cast: Ryan O'Neal, Anne Archer, Omar Sharif, John Larroquette

In the Andes mountains a group of archaeologists are murdered after they discover uncut emeralds. Back in New York, Joseph Wiley (Ryan O'Neal, "Love Story") is down on his luck and runs off to Mexico where he meets Lilian Holbrook (Anne Archer, "Fatal Attraction"). The two are instantly attracted to each other, but Lilian is on her way to meet Meno Argenti (Omar Sharif, "Doctor Zhivago"), the man who intends to marry her. Wiley is mistakenly drawn into perilous adventure when a mysterious caller tells him to look at the samples - stolen emeralds. Lilian's sister is killed and, suspecting Argenti, Wiley and Lilian, in a bid to avenge her murder, plan a daring raid on Argenti's vault of emeralds - green ice. Also starring John Larroquette (TV's Night Court).

"Grizzly" (1976)

Director: William Girdler

Cast: Christopher George, Andre Prine, Richard Jackel, Joan McCall

When an eighteen-foot, two-thousand-pound grizzly bear starts mauling campers and hikers at a state park, a park ranger (Christopher George, "The Exterminator") springs into action. But the job is too big to tackle alone, so he enlists the aid of a naturalist (Richard Jaeckel, "The Dirty Dozen") and a helicopter pilot (Andrew Prine, "The Evil") to take this freak of nature down. Meanwhile, the giant grizzly, not content with picnic baskets, continues to kill indiscriminately, leaving pools of blood and piles of body parts in his wake. Can the ranger and his cronies end the grizzly's reign of terror without resorting to excessively extreme measures? This post-Jaws, nature-runs-rampant thriller was directed by William Girdler ("Day of the Animals"), and was a box office hit and the top-grossing independent film of 1976.

"A Summer Story" (1988)

Director: Piers Haggard

Cast: James Wilby, Susannah York, Jerome Flynn

A country girl has a brief, life-shattering moment when she falls for a young lawyer. Adapted from John Galsworthy'sThe Apple Tree, the film tells of the relationship between a young London lawyer, Frank Ashton (James Wilby,"Handful of Dust") and Megan David (Imogen Stubbs, "True Colors"), the innocent girl who helps him during his recovery from a twisted ankle at the farm where she lives. The attraction between the two is overpowering; they make love in the farm hayloft and vow never to be parted. But Frank goes to Torquay where he meets an old schoolfriend and his lovely sister Stella (Sophie Ward). Thus, Frank's plans become muddled and Megan comes looking for him. A Summer Story of young love. Also starring Susannah York (Tom Jones) and Jerome Flynn (TV's Game of Thrones).

"Careful, He Might Hear You" (1983)

Director: Carl Schultz

Cast: Wendy Hughes, Robyn Nevin, Nicholas Gledhill

Winner of 8 Australian Film Institute Awards - Nominated for 5 more - National Board of Reviews: Winner (Top 10 Films)

Set in Australia in the 1930s, this drama stars Nicholas Gledhill as P.S., a six-year old boy who lives with his Aunt Lila (Robyn Nevin, "The Matrix Reloaded," "The Matrix Revolutions") and Uncle George (Peter Whitford, "Strictly Ballroom"). P.S.'s mother died in childbirth, so her sister Lila took him in, and while George and Lila don't have much money, they always done the best they could to the give the boy a good home. One day, Lila's older sister, Venessa (Wendy Hughes, "My Brilliant Career") arrives from a trip around the world; Vanessa is quiet wealthy, and upon her return to Australia, she expresses interest in taking custody of the child. Lila is willing to let the boy meet his aunt, but decides to fight her in court when she decides that she wants the boy full time. The case becomes more complicated by the arrival of the boy's long-absent father, Logan (John Hargreaves, "Emerald City"), an alcoholic who loves his son, but is incapable of caring for him. Careful He Might Hear You won 8 Australian Film Institute Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Hughes) and Best Supporting Actor (Hargreaves).

"Sorceress" (1982)

Director: Jack Hill

Cast: Leigh Harris, Lynette Harris, David Millbern

From legendary producer Roger Corman ("Bloody Mama") comes the box office hit of 1982, "Sorceress." When an evil Wizard Traigon makes a pact with the dark forces to sacrifice his first born to his God Caligara to gain the highest degree of power, but things get complicated when his gives birth to twin. Having knowledge of her husband's plan she runs away and her two daughters grow up to be beautiful warriors played by playboy playmates Leigh and Lynette Harris. After the death of their mother and adopted families at the hands of Traigon and his army, the twins blessed with the forces of light and strength given to them by the magical warrior Krona, join forces with Baldar the Viking and Erlik the Barbarian to take down Traigon and avenge their mother's death. Standing in their way is all sorts of Traigon's minions, from an army of ape man to undead zombies which leads us to a climax in an all out battle between good and evil! Now watch this cult classic, not only from a brand new HD master, but from a previously never-before-seen longer version!

"The Girl in a Swing" (1988)

Director: Gordon Hessler

Cast: Meg Tilly, Rupert Frazer, Nicholas Le Prevost, Elspet Gray

A London art broker (Rupert Frazer, "Empire of the Sun") goes to Copenhagen where he requires the services of a secretary fluent in Danish, English, and German. He falls deeply in love with the woman (Meg Tilly, "The Big Chill"), despite the fact that he knows virtually nothing about her. She insists on not being married in a church, and after they are married, some bad things from her past begin surfacing in subtly supernatural ways, and he must find the best way to deal with them without destroying their relationship. Based on the best selling novel by Richard Adams ("Watership Down") and directed by horror specialist Gordon Hessler ("Cry of the Banshee," "The Oblong Box").

 "Friendly Fire" (1979 TV Movie)

Director: David Greene

Cast: Carol Burnett, Ned Beatty, Sam Waterston, Timothy Hutton, David Keith

 The true story of Peg (Carol Burnett, "The Four Seasons") and Gene Mullen (Ned

Beatty, "Deliverance") who pursue the truth over their son's death in Vietnam. After their son is killed in Vietnam the couple's on-going inquiries eventually establish he was killed by 'artillery fire from friendly forces'. This beautifully orchestrated, harrowing story, assembled with uncommon sensitivity, is one of the most dramatic works ever made about the Vietnam War. Directed by David Greene ("Hard Country") and based on the novel by C.D.B. Bryan ("So Much Unfairness of Things") The wonderful cast includes Sam Waterston ("The Killing Fields"), Timothy Hutton ("Ordinary People") and David Keith ("An Officer and a Gentleman"). Winner of 4 Emmy Award® including Best Director and nominated for 3 more including Best Actor and Best Actress. 1980 Peabody Award Winner and DGA nominee foe Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Specials or Movies Made for TV.

"The Elephant Man " (1982 TV Movie )

Director: Jack Hofsiss

Cast: Philip Anglim, Kevin Conwak, Glenn Clsoe 

The story of John Merrick (Philip Anglim), The Elephant Man, and of his triumph over his terrible affliction. It is a story of life and the affirmation of life; timeless, tragic, uplifting and heroic; an exultation of the humanity of a man trapped inside the twisted, lesion-ridden grip of a terminally disfiguring disease. We see John Merrick as a man with many admirers, beginning with the witty and beautiful actress, Mrs. Kendal (Penny Fuller), who, so taken with Merrick, brought a who's who of English society to visit him regularly. The stellar cast includes Glenn Close as Princess Alexandra and Kevin Conway. Directed by DGA nominee Jack Hofsiss (1984 TV Movie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). Winner of 1 Emmy Award® for Best Supporting Actress (Fuller) and nominated for 3 more including Best Actor, Philip Anglim who also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Made for TV Motion Picture.

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.