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Stars: Emily Rose Mogilner, Connor Powles, Bruno Cryan, Karolina Ugrenyuk, Fyn Phoenixx, Danielle Ronald, Steven Murphy, Kelly Rian Sanson | Written by Harry Boxley | Directed by William Stead

The stream of public domain horror continues, this time it’s E.C. Segar’s iconic sailor Popeye who gets turned into a killer. The script by Harry Boxley, who has already scripted a trio of similar films, Piglet, Mouse of Horrors and Cinderella’s Curse re-imagines him as a boy born with huge forearms and freakish strength who accidentally kills one of his tormentors leading to the death of his parents and the young lad seemingly drowning.

Years later we find out he’s still alive as he kills off a trio of obnoxious YouTubers. From there we join Tara (Emily Rose Mogilner; 500) who is about to inherit the land where the house stood so she along with her boyfriend Dylan, Nick (Bruno Cryan; Treeline Essex Girls), Kathy,...

Well, it looks like Popeye has officially entered the public domain, and with that comes the inevitable low-budget horror adaptation. The beloved spinach-loving sailor is the latest classic character to be transformed into a slasher villain, following in the footsteps of Winnie-the-Pooh and Peter Pan.

The film, titled Popeye’s Revenge, takes the familiar formula of turning childhood icons into nightmare fuel. If you’re curious—or just can’t look away—there’s already a trailer out for it.

Popeye’s Revenge is described by ITN Movies as a “horrifying take on the classic character,” though that may not mean what they think it does. This isn’t horrifying because of its scares—it’s horrifying because it’s essentially Friday the 13th with Popeye in the killer role.

The film follows a group of friends hoping to open a summer camp, only to be haunted by the legend of Popeye.

Spinach is scarce in Popeye's Revenge. So is a cohesive plot and any form of shrewd execution.But the kills are brutal, the misogyny is ugly, and the plot is lost somewhere in the current vendetta to butcher some of history’s finest fairy tales and comic book characters. It began with director Rhys Frake-Waterfield, who is at the helm of the Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey films. Here, it's evident that screenwriter Harry Boxley was using the films he previously penned as horror foreplay. Popeye’s Revenge is a bloody mess, both figuratively and literally.

The executive producers of the Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey movies fuel this endeavor, which attempts to offer a brand-new and horrifying take on the classic character created by E.C. Seger nearly 100 years ago. Directed by William Stead (Children of the Night), the story finds a gaggle of teens trying to survive the "legend...

It’s trendy these days to take a character from popular children’s stories and given them a horror twist. Lately we’ve been hearing about horror movies based on the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Bambi, Pinocchio, Three Blind Mice, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears… and as I’ve said before, when one set of filmmakers decides to make a horror film featuring a beloved kids’ story character, there are sometimes multiple other sets of filmmakers working on horror films that center on the same character. We’ve seen this happen with Mickey Mouse, and now the character who’ll soon be seen in more than one horror movie is Popeye the Sailor Man. Back in November, it was announced that Alpeke Entertainment is working on a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye.

It’s trendy these days to take a character from popular children’s stories and given them a horror twist. Lately we’ve been hearing about horror movies based on the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Bambi, Pinocchio, Three Blind Mice, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears – and when one set of filmmakers decides to make a horror film featuring a beloved kids’ story character, there are sometimes multiple other sets of filmmakers working on horror films that center on the same character, as evident from the fact that there are actually several Mickey Mouse horror films making their way out into the world. Another example is Popeye. Earlier this month, it was announced that Alpeke Entertainment is working on a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye the Sailor. Since then, our friends at Bloody Disgusting...

Uncork’d Entertainment will be giving the creature feature The Loch Ness Horror a digital and DVD release on November 7th – and one month out from that release date, we’ve gotten our hands on a trailer for the film! You can check it out in the embed above.

Written and directed by Tyler-James, whose previous credits include Deadly Waters, Sky Monster, and Dinosaur Prison, The Loch Ness Horror has the following synopsis: A submarine vanishing prompts a rescue operation that comes face to face with the cause -The Loch Ness Monster. Having escaped the Loch, it is now unleashing decades of pent-up aggression on all those it encounters. In a fight for survival, our team of rescue operatives must overcome the terrors both beneath them and within their ranks.

The film stars Becca Hirani (Medusa’s Venom), May Kelly (Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey), Matthew Baunsgard (Legend of Lizard Man...

The final movie in Lucio Fulci’s “Gates of Hell” trilogy, The House by the Cemetery is getting a brand new 4K Ultra HD release from Arrow Video this Halloween season.

Both the Limited Edition 4K and the Limited Edition Blu-ray sets will be releasing in the UK on October 9, and there’s also an Arrow Store Exclusive Limited Edition 4K variant.

But why wait? Exclusively watch the official trailer for the bloody new 4K restoration below, along with a full clip from the gorgeous new restoration. Two words: Bat. Attack.

And pre-order your copy from Arrow Video today!

As the 1970s gave way to the 1980s, director Lucio Fulci increasingly specialised in the dark, ultraviolent horror movies which would earn him the affectionate moniker “the Godfather of Gore”.

The third and final instalment in his “Gates of Hell” trilogy, 1981’s The House by the Cemetery showcases the malevolent maestro at his blood-drenched best.

Launching this fall: Shook! Songs Of The Dark Sirens: "Coming to Kickstarter this month, Second Sight Publishing has once again gathered an award-winning team of Black comic writers and artists in the follow up volume of its hit horror anthology, Shook! A Black Horror Anthology.

COO of Second Sight Publishing, Marcus Roberts, has announced the lineup for the follow up volume of the history making Shook! A Black Horror Anthology which will be coming to comic bookstores and other retail outlets Jan 2024 through Dark Horse Comics. Roberts states that a Kickstarter for the project will launch this month. The volume, entitled Shook! Songs Of The Dark Sirens will once again feature a group of the top Black writers and artists in comics along with talented newcomers and is continuing in the tradition of volume 1. “We have brought in people like Alitha Martinez, Tananarive Due, and Micheline Hess to name few,...

Announced today as part of Arrow Video’s October 2023 lineup, Lucio Fulci horror classic The House by the Cemetery is getting a brand new 4K Uhd and Blu-ray release.

Both the Limited Edition 4K and the Limited Edition Blu-ray sets will be releasing in the UK on October 9, and there’s also an Arrow Store Exclusive Limited Edition 4K variant.

As the 1970s gave way to the 1980s, director Lucio Fulci increasingly specialised in the dark, ultraviolent horror movies which would earn him the affectionate moniker “the Godfather of Gore”.

The third and final instalment in his “Gates of Hell” trilogy, 1981’s The House by the Cemetery showcases the malevolent maestro at his blood-drenched best.

Special Features for this release include…

4k restoration from the original negative by Blue Underground 4k (2160p) Ultra Hd Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (hdr10 compatible) Restored original lossless mono English and Italian soundtracks Optional...

Among those selected, Laura Poitras won the Golden Lion at the festival last year.

Jane Campion, Mia Hansen-Løve, Laura Poitras and Martin McDonagh have joined the main Competition jury of the 80th Venice Film Festival (August 30-September 9).

The filmmakers will be joined by Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri (Wajib); Italian director Gabriele Mainetti, who was in Competition at the festival in 2021 with Freaks Out; Argentinian writer/director Santiago Mitre, whose Argentina, 1985 premiered in Competition at Venice last year; and Chinese actress Shu Qi, known for her performances in Hou Hsiao-Hsien films Millennium Mambo, Three Times and The Assassin.

US director Poitras...

Jane Campion, Laura Poitras, Martin McDonagh and Mia Hansen-Løve have joined the main jury of the upcoming Venice Film Festival.

The prominent directors, most of whom are Venice regulars – Poitras last year scored the Golden Lion with documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” – will be joined by fellow jury members including Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri (“Wajib”); Chinese star Shu Qi (“The Assassin”); Italian director Gabriele Mainetti, who was at Venice last year with “Freaks Out”; and Argentinian auteur Santiago Mitre, whose “Argentina, 1985” also launched from the Lido last year.

They will join Damien Chazelle who, as previously announced, will serve as president of the Venice competition jury.

Venice revealed its jury just hours after talks broke down without a deal between actors union SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance for Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). A strike is expected to be called on Thursday morning, Pacific time, which could have...

Stars: Harry Giubileo, Jay O’Connell, Ivan du Pontavice, Johnny Vivash, Howard J Davey, David Lenik | Written and Directed by William Stead

Children of the Night (no relation to the Tony Randel-directed film from 1991) is a first for Charlie Steeds’ company Dark Temple Motion Pictures. Where their previous films such as Freeze and The Barge People have all been Steeds’ own productions, this time they served as producers for the debut feature from writer/director William Stead. Regular readers know I’m a fan of Steed’s films, so of course I was curious to see if his talents extended to producing other filmmakers’ work.

During World War II a German attack on an English position leaves two survivors, Jim and Robert wandering the French countryside trying to reach Normandy.

Sheltering overnight in a church they narrowly escape detection by a group of German soldiers one of whom was attacked...

Italian auteur Marco Tullio Giordana, best known internationally for sweeping terrorism-themed epic “The Best of Youth” (2003) is set to soon return behind the camera on “La Vita Accanto” a psychological drama about a talented young woman contending with profound rejection due to her looks.

Shooting is set to start on June 5 in Vicenza, Northern Italy, on “Vita Accanto,” (the title can be translated as “the life beside”) which is co-written and produced by Marco Bellocchio – the Italian master who is currently competing for a Cannes Palm d’Or with “Kidnapped.”

Italy’s Intramovies has started launching pre-sales on “Vita Accanto” in Cannes.

Giordana’s new project is based on an eponymous prizewinning novel by Italian writer Mariapia Veladiano about a girl named Rebecca who from the very moment of birth becomes ostracized by her family and the world around her “because she does not conform to aesthetic canons [of beauty],” Giordana told Variety.

Visionary composer, saxophonist and visual artist Wayne Shorter has passed away at the age of 89.

His cause of death remains unknown, however the devoted husband, father and grandfather was surrounded by his loving family in Los Angeles at the time of his transition. He is survived by his wife Carolina, daughters Miyako and Mariana, and newly-born grandson Max.

Prior to his death, Shorter won his 13th Grammy award in February.

Read More: 2023 Grammy Awards: Complete Winners List

During the last few prolific years of his life, the extraordinary musician attained his opera …Iphigenia, written in collaboration with Esperanza Spalding, which played to widespread critical acclaim across the country in 2020, and released his Grammy-winning triple album and graphic novel Emanon in 2018.

“Wayne Shorter, my best friend, left us with courage in his heart, love and compassion for all, and a seeking spirit for the eternal future,” said Herbie Hancock, Shorter’s...

Read the fine print... you may have just mortgaged your life. Classic 80s horror cult movie The House by the Cemetery from The Godfather of Gore, Lucio Fulci, is getting an amazing 3-disc blu-ray release on January 21 from Blue Underground.

Catriona MacColl (The Beyond), Paolo Malco (The New York Ripped), Ania Pieroni (Tenebre), Carlo De Mejo (City of the Living Dead), and Dagmar Lassander (Hatchet for the Honeymoon) star in this outrageous Italian shocker from Lucio Fulci (Zombie). Blue Underground is now proud to present The House by the Cemetery in a new 4K restoration from the original uncut and uncensored camera negative, fully loaded with exclusive new and archival Extras!

A young family moves from their cramped New York City apartment to a spacious new home in New England. But this is no ordinary house in the country: the previous owner was the deranged Dr. Freudstein, whose monstrous human...

Italian director Andrea De Sica has been tapped to helm the upcoming adaptation of the bestselling Ya novel Non Mi Uccidere. The film Children of the Night and the Netflix series Baby also feature dramatic teen stories with dark or borderline horror narratives, so the director is familiar with the content. Variety reports the following description of the story:

The book – written by late cult author Chiara Palazzolo, with a title that translates as “Don’t Kill Me” – is about a 19-year-old named Mirta, who, with her older lover, Robin, dies of a drug overdose. She then resuscitates alone to find out that in order to continue living, and cherishing the memory of Robin’s love, she must eat living humans.

The report also spoke with the director, who described the film as “not a full-fledged horror film but more a strange coming-of-age” tale, and said he sees it “as...

Italian director Andrea De Sica, who has been helming the bulk of Netflix teen series “Baby,” is set to shoot a horror film based on a bestselling Gothic novel, “Non Mi Uccidere,” geared towards the same youth demographic as the show.

The book – written by late cult author Chiara Palazzolo, with a title that translates as “Don’t Kill Me” – is about a 19-year-old named Mirta, who, with her older lover, Robin, dies of a drug overdose. She then resuscitates alone to find out that in order to continue living, and cherishing the memory of Robin’s love, she must eat living humans.

Prior to directing “Baby,” which is about teen prostitution in Rome, De Sica made his directorial debut with “Children of the Night,” a coming-of-age story, set at an upper-crust boarding school, that flirted with horror elements.

De Sica described “Uccidere” as “not a full-fledged horror film but...

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi has been cast as a morally and economically bankrupt matron in Italian director Leonardo Guerra Seràgnoli’s movie adaptation of “The Time of Indifference,” author Alberto Moravia’s scathing critique of the Fascist-era bourgeoisie.

Seràgnoli, a young helmer known for “Last Summer” and “Likemeback” – which bowed at the Rome and Locarno fests, respectively – has started shooting his contemporary take on the widely translated novel in Rome. First published in 1929, when Moravia was 21, “Gli Indifferenti” captured the middle-class malaise of its time and established Moravia as a world-class writer.

The story sees members of an upper-crust Rome family reacting to a financial crisis that is undermining their social status. Mariagrazia, played by Bruni Tedeschi, is a widow with an unscrupulous lover, Leo, played by Edoardo Pesce (“Dogman”). She has two children by her dead husband: Carla, whom Leo has the hots for, and Michele, who is aware that...

Fabrizio Rongione and Stéphanie Cleau will head up the film’s cast; the Cnc will also support the feature debuts by Philippe Petit and Camille Ponsin. Three projects have been accepted during the third 2019 session of the Cnc’s first advance on receipts committee. Standing out among them is Andreas Fontana’s Azor, a predominantly Swiss production handled by Alina film with French partners Local Films (Nicolas Brevière) contributing up to 30%. Shooting will begin on 11 November in Argentina. The cast includes Belgian actor of Italian origins Fabrizio Rongione and Stéphanie Cleau (The Blue Room). Worth noting as well is the presence, in...

Five cult classics, including The House on Sorority Row, are being revived on the big screen by Bloody Disgusting for their "Retro Nightmares" cinema series kicking off on September 27th. Also in today's Horror Highlights: Travel Channel's "Ghostober" programming details, the latest addition to Mezco's Living Dead Dolls line, and the Indiegogo campaign for Masters of the Grind.

Bloody Disgusting's Retro Nightmares Film Series Details: Press Release: "Just in time to kick off the Halloween season, five HD digitally remastered cult horror classics--as voted online by fans--will be coming to the big screen as part of the “Bloody Disgusting Presents Retro Nightmares” Cinema Series this fall: The House on Sorority Row, Amityville: The Evil Escapes, Amityville: It’s About Time, Sweet Sixteen, and The Convent. Tickets are on sale now at www.Retronightmares.com for theaters nationwide.

Preeminent American horror genre website Bloody Disgusting, independent distribution company Multicom Entertainment Group,...

Actors Cary Elwes and Jake Busey will join the “Stranger Things” cast in the show’s third season, Netflix announced Wednesday.

Elwes, known for “The Princess Bride,” will play a character named Mayor Kline, while Busey, from “Starship Troopers,” will play Bruce.

Mayor Kline is being described by Netflix promotional materials as “handsome, slick, and sleazy.” “Your classic ’80s politician – more concerned with his own image than with the people of the small town he governs.” The Bruce character played by Busey is “a journalist for the The Hawkins Post, with questionable morals and a sick sense of humor.”

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos made the new casting announcement at Netflix’s See What’s Next event in Rome, where the streaming giant announced a slew of new productions from Europe and elsewhere around the world.

As previously announced, Maya Hawke will be one of the new leads in “Stranger Things,...

Television, film, and video games composer Daniel Licht, best known for his work on Showtime’s “Dexter,” died late Wednesday following a battle with cancer. He was 60. Originally from Detroit, Licht’s first major work was scoring the 1991 horror film “Children of the Night.” His compositions caught the attention of Clive Barker, who tapped Licht to score “Hellraiser: Bloodline.” Licht scored numerous horror films but also forayed into more mainstream fare like the Ben Stiller film “Permanent Midnight,” and indies like “The Winner” and “Cowboy Up.” Licht’s work on “Dexter” was well regarded, and each season’s soundtrack was released for sale.

Titan Comics have announced the upcoming release of an all-new comic series based on the best selling Anno Dracula novels, written by creator Kim Newman with art by Paul McCaffrey (The Third Doctor).

The Anno Dracula novels depict an alternate 19th-century history where the characters of Bram Stoker’s Dracula fail to prevent Count Dracula’s subjugation of Great Britain, creating a world where vampires are living amongst humans and a central part of society. The series also features characters including Jack the Ripper, Professor Moriarty and Van Helsing.

First published in 1992, critic, author and broadcaster Kim Newman has written four Anno Dracula novels to date, as well as short stories. Described as “the definitive account of…the self-obsessed undead” by New York Times, the Anno Dracula novels have won numerous awards including the Dracula Society’s Children of the Night Award, the Lord Ruthven Award and the International Horror Guild Award.

Starting off this weekend's Horror Highlights, Wolfmen of Mars has made their entire music catalog available for a free / pay what you want price right now on their Bandcamp page. Continue reading for more details. Also: Anno Dracula comic series, release details for Hear the Living the Dead compilation album, and a recap of the Screamfest 2016 awards ceremony.

Entire Wolfmen of Mars Music Catalog Available Now: The entire music catalog of Wolfmen from Mars is now available at a “free/pay what you want” price on their Bandcamp page. Fans will also be able to hear the band’s music in the upcoming horror movie Boogeyman Pop, but until then, you can crank up their entire stock of tunes on Bandcamp. To learn more, visit their official Bandcamp page.

About Wolfmen of Mars: "Making music that combines the electronic analog sounds of the 70s-80s and mixing them with heavy grooves.

Welcome Back. This episode features a dynamite interview with stuntperson, actor, producer,  Zoe Bell talking about her role in The Hateful Eight and carving out a sustainable career on her own terms. I also offer up some news on Chicago film events for April, take a quick look at the wonderful art mugs of Turkey Merck, and give my own list of ten films that need to be released on Blu-ray...Now! Home enetertainment coverage includes a fabulous edition of The Manchurian Candidate from the Criterion Collection, the incredible American Horror Project Box Set Vol. One from Arrow Video Us, and other Blu-ray releases including Cherry Falls,  Children of the Night, Rage of Honor, Pray for Death, 10 Rillington Place, The Curse/Curse II Double Feature, and...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Of all the monsters in the long history of cinema, no creature has been explored more often or in more detail than the vampire. From his cinematic genesis as a hideous rat-like creature in F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu to his numerous escapades as a romantic from Lugosi forward, the vampire has been explored from nearly every angle possible. As a result, when a film comes along with another look at the vampire myth and is touted as being new and different, I can't help but scoff a bit and prepare for disappointment. Argentinian filmmaker Ivan Noel may be a newcomer to these pages, but he's been working since 2008 and making some of Argentina's most talked about films. The fact that Children of the Night (original...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

For the first week of October, genre fans should get those wallets ready because there are seemingly endless horror and sci-fi movies being released on both DVD and Blu-ray. Warner Bros. is keeping busy with the release of numerous Hammer Classics in HD including Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, The Mummy and Taste the Blood of Dracula, and we have the latest new release from Scream Factory, the cannibal comedy Gravy, to look forward to as well. Sony Pictures has also put together a stellar new release of Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Kino Lorber is showing the cult classic Burnt Offerings some love this week, too.

Other notable titles arriving on October 6th include We Are Still Here, Final Girl, Fire City: End of Days, Children of the Night, June, Pod, Cop Car, Alleluia, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! and the second season of Penny Dreadful.

October is finally upon us which means horror and sci-fi fans have a lot to be looking forward to, especially when it comes to the films hitting VOD this month as there numerous highly anticipated choices arriving on various platforms throughout the month, including Tales of Halloween, Deathgasm, Gravy, Knock Knock, The Final Girls, A Christmas Horror Story, Bone Tomahawk, and one of my own most anticipated films of 2015, Tokyo Tribe from visionary filmmaker Shion Sono.

Here’s a look at all the genre titles arriving on VOD this October!

A Christmas Horror Story (Rlj Entertainment) - October 2nd

Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, peace and goodwill. But for some folks in the small town of Bailey Downs, it turns into something much less festive. When Krampus - the anti-Santa who punishes the naughty children - is summoned by a young boy, everyone’s fight for survival begins.

Children of the Night on Bluray – Child Vampires Take on Stake-Wielding Villagers

Child Vampires Take on Stake-Wielding Villagers in Ivan Noel’s Children of the Night South America has been a hotbed of new indie horror films for several years and one cannot find a better example of this than in Children of the Night, an Argentinean vampire tale that is innovative, creepy, bloody and even funny. John ...

Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...

Venice Film Market director Pascal Diot has confirmed that Chinese involvement in the event has decreased markedly since last year.

“Unfortunately, the Chinese are coming in fewer numbers to Venice this year,” said Diot.

The Chinese arrived in big numbers on the Lido in 2014. Their absence now, Diot suggested, is not just to do with recent troubles in the Chinese economy.

“I believe that right now in China, they (film industry representatives) are in a kind of transition,” he said.

“In the last two years, they wanted to be everywhere. They have been coming to all the big festivals, trying to invest, make parties and so on.

“Now, they have probably understood that it is not because you are making parties that you are considered as a real professional.”

Diot suggested the Chinese were now a “little more cautious” in their involvement in international festivals. Representatives from Chinese online giant iQiyi will be back on the Lido...

Ahead of the show's season two premiere on Tuesday, August 25th, from director Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror), comes another From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series behind-the-scenes video. Also: Voices of the Damned and Children of the Night release details.

From Dusk Till Dawn Season 2: In this second behind-the-scenes video, the crew takes you through what the costume and makeup process is like for the series:

Press Release: "El Rey Network and Miramax® released a behind-the-scenes featurette from the El Rey Network original "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series".

Returning cast members are D.J. Cotrona (Dear John, G.I. Joe: Retaliation); Zane Holtz (Wind Walkers, Holes, The Perks of Being a Wallflower); Jesse Garcia (Quinceañera, "Sons of Anarchy"); Eiza González ("Amores Verdaderos" ("True Love")); Wilmer Valderrama ("That '70s Show," To Whom It May Concern); Madison Davenport ("Noah," "Shameless"); Brandon Soo Hoo (Tropic Thunder, Ender's Game, Incredible Crew) and guest star Jake Busey ("Motorcycle Gang,...

“Rats. Rats. Rats! Thousands! Millions of them! All red blood! All these will I give you if you will obey me!”

Dracula (1931) screens Thursday August 6th at 7:00pm at Schlafly Bottleworks

Ladies fainted in their seats when Bela Lugosi rose from his coffin as a vampire in the 1927 Broadway stage production of “Dracula” that preceded Tod Browning’s timeless 1931 film version that had an equally chilling effect on movie audiences. Playwright Hamilton Deane based his lean script on Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 novel, and introduced horror to talkies. Dwight Frye’s gonzo performance as Renfield, the hapless Brit accountant who first sets foot inside Dracula’s foreboding castle, set the film’s tone of ghoulish insanity. For the well-established lead, Bela Lugosi is positively blood-curdling as he stalks every scene. With his thick native Hungarian accent and dapper tuxedo and cape, Lugosi forever defined the title character. The way he looks,...

The Venice Film Market will showcase 15 projects seeking completion financing.

Now in its second year, the Venice Film Market’s European Gap-Financing Market, which runs September 4-5 in 2015, will highlight 15 film in search of completion funding.

To qualify, each film must already have secured 70% of its financing. They will have the opportunity to close their international funding by having one-on-one meetings with potential financiers, distributors, sales agents, post-production companies and film funds.

Last year, the Vfm welcomed 261 distributors and 66 sales agents to the market. A total of 1,500 film professionals from 57 countries attended.

Full list:

#flora63 by Stéphane Robelin (France/Belgium/Germany)

Bianco by Daniele Vicari (Italy/France)

Letters from War by Ivo Ferreira (Portugal)

Comic Sans by Nevio Marasovic (Croatia/ Slovenia)

Diamond Island by Davy Chou (France/ Cambodia)

The Eremites by Ronny Trocker (Germany)

Freaking by Julia Ducournau (France/ Belgium/ Switzerland)

Children of the Night by Andrea De Sica (Italy)

The Bank of Broken Hearts by [link...

Some of the most memorable characters in movie history are antagonists. Here are our picks for the franchises that have make the biggest impression based on their villains alone.

A great antagonist in a film can make the effort of the protagonist seem more important. The hero’s plight becomes elevated to have meaning beyond just simple entertainment. It is those struggles that define some of the best movies ever made, and give the audience something to really cheer about.

It’s challenging enough to make one good antagonist, but what happens when you need to make a sequel? What happens if your antagonist has died but your protagonist needs more adventures to keep them busy or complete their story? Maintaining quality villains in a movie franchise is not easy to do. Some movie franchises have had better success at maintaining great antagonists, to the point of often being more...

Thriller starring Eloise Mumford sold to territories in Asia and Europe by Jinga Films.

UK sales company Jinga Films has sold Rick Rosenthal’s topical thriller Drones starring Eloise Mumford to multiple territories.

Rights have been snapped up for Japan (At Entertainment), Australia and New Zealand (Bounty Entertainment), France (Marco Polo), Scandinavia (Take One) and Portugal (Cinema Novo).

In Fifty Shades of Grey, set to screen at the Berlin Film Festival on Feb 11, Mumford plays Kate Kavanagh – roommate of lead character Anastasia Steele. Mumford is set to return for the trilogy.

In Drones she plays a rookie pilot confronted with the moral dilemma of ‘collateral damage’ before launching a missile strike on a top Al Qaida operative.

The film was released in North America by Phase 4 and in the UK by Signature. It will be released in Germany on Feb 16 by Ksm.

Jinga’s Efm slate also includes vampire thriller Children Of The Night, psychological thriller...

The Equalizer – a movie that desperately tries to spin Denzel Washington’s role as something wholly new and inventive, yet anyone familiar with one of Hollywood’s most established talents will know exactly the kind of performance Washington brings to Robert McCall. In what could essentially be a prequel to Man On Fire, director Antoine Fuqua creates a “different kind of superhero” by remaking a 1980s television series that originally starred Edward Woodward, finding a hero who lets his actions speak louder than words ever could. Denzel is a tight-lipped badass who knows his way around a home improvement store, but The Equalizer sets out to be something more than another action-centric thriller – an achievement that borders success long enough to hold our attention.

While updating the episodic source material, Fuqua does ensure that a subtle 80s vibe is kept in the sense of McCall’s Terminator-esque attitude. Denzel goes...

Quality be damned – you put Denzel Washington in an action-thriller, and audiences will turn out in droves. Such was the case this past September with The Equalizer, which received decent reviews but slayed the competition at the box office, having the biggest R-rated September debut of all time and eventually grossing $186.6 million. Now, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that it will be bringing The Equalizer to Blu-Ray just in time for the new year.

The Digital HD release will take place on December 16th, with the Blu-Ray and DVD both touching down two weeks later on December 30th. The Blu-Ray will boast a 1080p video transfer as well as an English DTS-hd Master Audio 7.1 track, a Uv code and a digital copy. The special features were also detailed.

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features Include:

Two Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes Home Mart: Taking Care of Business One Bolt at a Time – On the...

Denzel Washington was all smiles (as per usual) at the press conference for his newest film, The Equalizer, at the Toronto International Film Festival this Sunday.

The film, an adaptation of the 1980s television series of the same name, reunites Washington with his Training Day director, Antoine Fuqua. It follows Robert McCall, a seemingly normal, quiet man who works at a home improvement store by day. At night, he reads the books his wife never got to before she died, and sits, drinking tea at a local diner. Chloë Grace Moretz, who plays a young woman named Teri, befriends McCall at the diner over the course of many nights.

But this isn't just two lonely people talking about "The Old Man and the Sea." McCall is an ex-special ops agent, and Teri is a Russian prostitute who's about to get in a whole lot of trouble.

Here are five things...

--NeNe Leakes wearing Chagoury Couture as she performed in Zumanity in Las Vegas. --Leonardo DiCaprio and Robin Thicke enjoying cocktails over brunch at Herringbone in the Mondrian Los Angeles. --AnnaLynne McCord attending the Children of the Night charity event presented by BenchWarmer at Riviera 31 in L.A. --Lucy Hale and a group of girlfriends sipping wine over dinner at Stk in L.A. --Real Housewives on New York's Aviva Drescher mingling with Dr. Ronald Blatt at the opening of MedSpa44 in NYC. --Tyson Beckford wearing his Pepsi Live for Now Original Penguin polo while jogging in NYC. --Tony Award-winner Jessie [...]...

Tuesdays are when new books are typically released, and horror fans usually don’t have too much trouble finding something to read. There is Amazon of course and publishers like Samhain and Cemetery Dance…

We also boast authors ranging from "The King" himself to Dan Simmons, Robert McCammon, the late Thomas Tryon, Tim Curran, Aussies Stephen Irwin, Brett McBean, and Aaron Dries as well as Brits such as David Moody, anthologist Stephen Jones, and Mark Morris, to name just a very few.

But what if you long for the paperback originals which seemed to flood bookstores back in the 80s or want to read even earlier horror that is long out of print? What to do? Well, you turn to Valancourt Books to assuage those yearnings. And we recently spoke with Ryan Cagle, one half of the publishing team that brings those long unavailable titles to life for readers to enjoy again,...

Ladies fainted in their seats when Bela Lugosi rose from his coffin as a vampire in the 1927 Broadway stage production of “Dracula” that preceded Tod Browning’s timeless 1931 film version that had an equally chilling effect on movie audiences. Playwright Hamilton Deane based his lean script on Bram Stoker’s famous 1897 novel, and introduced horror to talkies. Dwight Frye’s gonzo performance as Renfield, the hapless Brit accountant who first sets foot inside Dracula’s foreboding castle, set the film’s tone of ghoulish insanity. For the well-established lead, Bela Lugosi is positively blood-curdling as he stalks every scene. With his thick native Hungarian accent and dapper tuxedo and cape, Lugosi forever defined the title character. The way he looks, behaves and sounds is truly vampiric. Think of Lugosi saying, “The blood is the life.” Or, “I never drink … wine.” Or, “To die, to be really dead, that must be glorious.

Tiff’s Midnight Madness program turned 25 this year, and for two and half decades, the hardworking programers have gathered some of the strangest, most terrifying, wild, intriguing and downright entertaining films from around the world. From dark comedies to Japanese gore-fests and indie horror gems, the Midnight Madness program hasn’t lost its edge as one the leading showcases of genre cinema. In its 25-year history, Midnight Madness has introduced adventurous late-night moviegoers to such cult faves as Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. But what separates Midnight Madness from, say, Montreal’s three and half week long genre festival Fantasia, is that Tiff selects only ten films to make the cut. In other words, these programmers don’t mess around. Last week I decided that I would post reviews of my personal favourite films that screened in past years. And just like the Tiff programmers,...

Actress Karen Black, star of such films as Five Easy Pieces and Trilogy of Terror died today in Los Angeles. She was 74.

Born in 1939 in Illinois, she studied acting at Northwestern University until she dropped out and moved to New York. Summer stock and theater were Black's staples, eventually debuting on Broadway in 1961. Her first major film role was in Francis Ford Coppola's You're a Big Boy Now. Black is best known to "mainstream" audiences for her roles in films like Five Easy Pieces (a role for which she was nominated for an Oscar), Easy Rider, and Nashville, which represented a time when independent films were emerging as a viable, respectable segment of the film world.

Black's career took a "turn" in 1975 when she took the lead in Trilogy of Terror, a made-for-tv anthology film. (The "turn" reference comes from Hollywood Reporter, which to me comes off dismissive, as if she wasted her career.

Latino history in the United States has been obscure until now. A new documentary series narrated by actor Benjamin Bratt will chronicle the history of Latinos in the United States, going back 500 years and leading up to where Latinos are today, the largest minority group in the country.

Producer Ray Telles, responsible for producing a portion of a new upcoming series on PBS called “Latino Americans“, spoke to Voxxi about the project, his contribution and the future of Latinos in America.

The Emmy award-winning producer has been behind PBS Frontline’s “Children of the Night” and “The Fight in the Fields”, a 90-minute documentary on Cesar Chavez, among other films.

Being Mexican-American himself, Telles couldn’t be more passionate about “Latino Americans”. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Telles maintains a connection to his Mexican roots. In a way, this series shows the history of his family and allows for...

by Joseph Leray

The above picture (taken by Joystiq) is one of dozens of handmade pamphlets that Ken Suzuta -- an associate producer for the PlayStation C.A.M.P. team -- made for his next game, "Rain." The inside features glossy cut-outs of the game's stormy cityscape, while they outside features an origami umbrella. It's a delicate, fragile thing, which seems like the perfect introduction to his upcoming PlayStation Network title.

We haven't covered "Rain" here at MTV before, but Sony's presentation at Gdc 2013 -- which featured a six-minute gameplay video of the Japan Studio-developed title -- seems like as good a reason as any.

"Rain" is an adventure-stealth game about a young, invisible boy whose silhouette can only be seen in the rain. One day he spies a young girl, also invisible, being chased by monsters and he sets out to save her and learn more about the...

Twilight stars Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Christian Camargo (Eleazar - Denali Coven) have both donated some major items for charity auction. Stewart donated her 1.15 carat pavé diamond bracelet and .02 carat avanyu ring, the paired value of which is estimated at $20,000, for auction to benefit the organization Children of the Night. Included in the jewelry package is a signed portrait as well, and you can bid on at Charity Buzz until Feb. 27. View slideshow: Kristen Stewart Meanwhile, Camargo's donation is for two tickets to a private spring screening of his own directorial debut, The Untitled Christian Camargo Project which stars Katie Holmes, Jean Reno and Allison Janney in New York City. The film's ...

Nothing says “I love you” like FEARnet this February with an horrific heart-shaped box full of premieres, prizes, and stunts kicked off by the world television debut of Lost Boys: The Thirst on February 3 and "The Complete Exorcist Marathon" on February 17.

From the Press Release:

For the first time ever, a TV network is consecutively airing all films, prequels and sequels, associated with The Exorcist franchise. One of the most significant genre films ever made, the Academy Award®-winning movie celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. In that time it has spawned two sequels and two prequels, which FEARnet presents back-to-back starting at 2 p.m. Et/11 a.m. Pt on February 17.

The original head-spinning classic The Exorcist stars Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil, a young girl possessed by the demon Pazuzu, with Max von Sydow and Jason Miller as the priests who try to save her. Next is Exorcist II: The Heretic at 4:30 p.

The star is starting off the new year right and giving back — and we have all the details of her latest charitable venture right here!

Kristen Stewart kicked off 2013 with another edgy, high-fashion photo shoot, this time for V magazine. The cover girl looked so sultry in the black and white images — and it turns out the spread was also for a good cause! The jewelry the star wore for the shoot will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the charity of her choice. The star selected Children of the Night, a non profit organization that rescues children from prostitution.

KStew was wearing jewelry from Tenthousandthings + Inez and Vinoodh’s Love & Adorn collection. The collaboration marks the celebration of the brand’s 20 years in business, and each unique piece, (designed to honor the brand’s inspiring clientele), will be auctioned off to support the participants’ charitable organization of choice...

Lance Henriksen is a genre icon. And one of his most memorable roles is that of forensic profiler Frank Black from the "Millennium" television series. Those who loved the show will be very interested to learn about a new book, and a related movement looking to return the character to the air.

Back to Frank Black is a new book coming out next month containing a series of essays from an amazing group of contributors about the memorable "Millennium" series. And the Back to Frank Black movement is an effort to collaborate the efforts of fans of the show to inspire Fox Television to return their hero to the air in the future. Hey, it worked for "Family Guy," why the hell not?

For more visit the official Back to Frank Black website, "like" Back to Frank Black on Facebook and follow Back to Frank Black on Twitter (@back2frankblack...

Lucio Fulci’s The House by the Cemetery (Quella villa accanto al cimitero) is a wrap to a loosely connected trilogy of films regarding the boundaries between the living and the dead, and Catriona MacColl is in all three.

In The Gates of Hell, a priest’s suicide unleashes a zombie apocalypse. The Beyond is about an old estate in Louisiana, which is discovered to harbor one of the gateways to hell. And lastly, in this film, a family is haunted by the undead owner of their new home.

Catriona MacColl and Paolo Malco play a couple, Lucy and Norman Boyle, who move to a small town in Massachusetts so Norman can complete the research of a colleague who committed suicide. Naturally, the couple goes to live with their son Bob in the same house the man committed suicide in. The house was built and inhabited originally by a Dr.