Film4 FrightFest 2014 announces opening night film

FILM NEWS (UK): Film4 FrightFest 2014 welcomes THE GUEST to open its 15^th year.

This year’s Film4 FrightFest gets off to a nerve-shredding start with the UK premiere of Adam Wingard’s killer thriller THE GUEST, starring Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) and rising star Maika Monroe (The Bling Ring, It Follows).

Wingard said today: "FrightFest movie goers are some of the most diehard genre enthusiasts in the world. Naturally I am delighted that The Guest will be opening this year’s festival".

Alan Jones, co-director of FrightFest added: "Film4FrightFest has a grand tradition of always opening its banner August event with a forward-looking and directional attraction. So we couldn't be more delighted to showcase Adam Wingard's dazzling horror thriller THE GUEST to put the stamp of approval on our move to the Vue cinema in Leicester Square”.

SYNOPSIS: A brilliant homage to 1980s action flicks, THE GUEST opens with the Peterson familystruggling over the loss of their oldest son, Caleb, to the war in Afghanistan, They find some solace when an unexpected visitor knocks on its door. David (Dan Stevens), a steely eyed and charismatic soldier who was recently discharged, is welcomed into their home when he comes to fulfill a promise he made to his fallen comrade. Siblings Anna and Luke are at first reluctant to accept David’s presence, but he soon wins them over. Though he appears to be the perfect houseguest, a mysterious and sinister chain of events causes Anna to question whether David is actually whom he claims to be.

The film is written by Simon Barrett (You’re Next, A Horrible Way To Die), and also stars Sheila Kelley (Matchstick Men), Leland Orser (Taken), Lance Reddick (The Wire) and Brendan Meyer. It is being distributed in the UK by Icon Film Distribution.

Film4 FrightFest 2014 has moved to the prestigious Vue West End and the full-line up will be jointly announced on Friday 27 June, along with details on when and how to buy Festival passes and individual tickets.

Plus…For the first time ever in the UK, Claudio Simonetti’s GOBLIN to score DAWN OF THE DEAD and SUSPIRIA LIVE.

FrightFest will be co-presenting, alongside One Inch Badge, two special concerts featuring Claudio Simonetti’s GOBLIN.

For the first time ever in the UK, Claudio Simonetti’s GOBLIN will be performing live scores for George Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD and Dario Argento’s SUSPIRIA on consecutive nights at the Union Chapel, Islington, London N1 2XD

On Monday 18th August they will be scoring ‘Dawn of the Dead’ - accompanying the NMS Records, German, English Language version of the film, and on Tues 19th August, ‘Suspiria’ – accompanying the CDE, Italian, English Language version. Doors open at 7pm. Audiences must be aged 18 and over.

Tickets are on sale now from http://www.seetickets.com/artist/goblin/321495

FrightFest pass holders have been offered a special discount. The code can be found on the FrightFest website www.frightfest.co.uk

Today's DVD Releases!

Here are some of the horror DVD releases for July 1:

Penny Dreadful Episode 8 Contest

It’s been a great first season! Too bad it was only 8 episodes, but maybe we will get more in season 2! Anyways, it’s time to enter to win a Penny Dreadful poster!!!!

To win, you must correctly answer these questions about episode 8:

-Who rejected Dorian Gray?

-What happened to Mina when they found her?

-What secret do we find out about Ethan at the end of the episode?

-As a bonus, please share your thoughts about season 1.

Email your answer to HorrO@PromoteHorror.com with the subject line "Penny Dreadful Episode 8 Contest." A winner will be selected at random on Sunday, July 6 from those who have answered correctly. Please note that posters will only be mailed to US postal addresses. Also, "Showtime provided the prizes, but is not a sponsor of this program and isn't involved in picking winners."

And don't forget to get your Penny Dreadful merchandise. Use special promo code HORRORFAN20 and it will offer horror fans 20% off all Penny Dreadful merchandise if fans use that code. Click here to visit the Penny store. The code is valid through 12/31/14!

Principle Photography for Herschell Gordon Lewis' New Anthology Horror Film BLOODMANIA Begins Late July 2014

Monday, June 16, 2014 - "BloodMania" is a new anthology film with four distinctively different horror tales, each featuring Herschell Gordon Lewis' brand of splatter. Principal photography begins late July 2014 in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Mr. Lewis has written one segment and will direct two of them. Herschell Gordon Lewis, originator of the “Splatter” film genre, both revered and reviled as “The Godfather of Gore,” has expressed strong enthusiasm for "BloodMania." “It’s time to get some fresh blood flowing into the happy universe of horror films,” Herschell said in an exclusive interview. “I’ll be there to be sure it happens, and I can promise that we’ll have enough bloody messes and enough off-the-wall humor to satisfy everyone ... even including me.”

The “Splatter Film” phenomenon - Few categories of motion pictures enjoy the perpetual popularity of the genre Herschell Gordon Lewis literally invented half a century ago. The original gore-movie, "Blood Feast" (1963), was as primitive as any movie could be. Yet, it shows in theaters to this day, and is a DVD favorite. Herschell’s personal favorite, "Two Thousand Maniacs" (1964), has a plot-line centering on a small U.S. southern town that “gets even” for that country’s Civil War. Despite what one might or would think is a plot of local interest only, the film has long been an international success, and wherever the director travels – in Canada, the U.S., Europe, or the Far East – he is called on to sing the theme of that movie, which he wrote.

"BloodMania," Herschell promises, carries the slasher advantage to a new height. “First of all,” he points out, “we've brought young directors into the slasher arena and given them tools and effects that just didn't exist when we originated the category. BloodMania has four dynamic episodes. I’m directing two of them. The other two are ... well, critics will have a difficult time choosing which of those episodes is the most effective, because we’re opening wide the gates of effects nobody has seen before.”

Top International Technicians - James Saito, the Diabolique Films executive of the "BloodMania" team, who has assumed the challenging job of recruiting major talent, has chosen some well known genre experts for the project. One example is award-winning Screenwriter/Producer Bob Schultz, whose last two horror films Mr. Saito points out, have been screened around the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Mr. Schultz is writing one of the episodes Mr. Lewis will direct. Each of the other directors will create his or her own episode, and Jim Saito promises a competitive atmosphere that will result in “scenes that blast off the screen.” The promise made by both Herschell Gordon Lewis and James Saito: "BloodMania will set a level of entertainment, shock, and wild humor that will be the benchmark for years to come."

Jim says... "I saw my first Herschell Gordon Lewis movie at a drive-in theater in 1971. It change the way I looked at horror cinema, and was instrumental in shaping me into the gore-hound that I am today. The fact Mr. Lewis has specifically chosen Diabolique Films as the vehicle for a long-awaited new venture is not only thrilling, but a particular honor. Satisfying his legion of fans and introducing his brand of cinema to a new younger audience is a responsibility that we all take very seriously indeed!"

Rise

"This is the best zombie book I have ever read,"

"Great story . Hard to stop reading, and leaves you wanting more. Characters that you can relate to"

"loved the pace of the book and the thought he put into the story"

"Over all loved the story and want more now"

"well written and entertaining"

So what's this entertaining story about...

Within hours of succumbing to a plague, millions of dead rise to attack the living. 

Brian Williams flees the city with his sister Sarah, literally just ahead of the undead horde. Their post-apocalyptic journey begins with refuge in the mountains, then takes them across a destroyed nation. Although banded with other survivors, the group remains desperately outnumbered and under-armed. With no food and little fuel, they must fight their way to safety. 

RISE is the story of the extreme measures a family will take to survive a trek across a country gone mad.

Take the journey with them by getting your copy today at:

Amazon

And then continue the journey with...

A year and a half has passed since the dead rose, and the citizens of Cold Lake are running out of hope. Food and weapons are nearly impossible to find, and the dead are everywhere.

In desperation Cold Lake sends Brian Williams to lead a salvage team into the Rocky Mountains. But outside the small safe zones the world is a foreign place filled with new hardships. Williams and his team must use all of their skills to survive in the wilderness ruled by the dead.

What the team finds in the zombie-haunted mountains will lead them on a desperate adventure through the ice and snow of winter, in search of a possible cure to the mysterious undead contagion.

"RISE left this reader wanting a sequel and that is almost always a good thing."--28 Days Later Analysis

"[RISE] kept me reading from start to finish and I was definitely entertained."--Patrick D'Orazio, author of THE DARK TRILOGY

The third book in the chilling crime thriller RISE series. Nine years after a worldwide zombie apocalypse, the Mission Safe Zone is struggling to deal with the presence of a serial killer within the population.  Salvage teams have also noticed that the undead outside the walls are changing, becoming more dangerous.

For more information, please visit:

http://permutedpress.com/

You can also find more on Facebook!

Christine Bently's Newest Film Ghost of Goodnight Lane Released

Christine Bently is a Scream in Ghost of Goodnight Lane

Christine Bently proves that blood red is her signature color in her newest film to release, The Ghost of Goodnight Lane; the independent thriller is set to release this month.

The film chronicles an eccentric director, played by Billy Zane, attempting to reshoot scenes from his horror film starring glamorous movie star Laurel Matthews, played by Bently. Along with Bently’s movie within a movie costar, played by Danielle Harris, and Zane’s resourceful coworkers, played by Lacey Chabert and Matt Dallas, Bently must help battle off one relentless ghost who is tearing the haunted studio apart one body at a time.

"The irony of me playing such a successful actress was that I was working alongside Lacey Chabert, Danielle Harris, and of course Billy Zane, while I was a struggling Texas actress driving a beat up Ford Focus complete with a cracked windshield and outstanding parking tickets.”

"This is the fourth horror film for Bently. As such, it was no surprise she felt shooting the film was anything but scary. “My favorite scenes to film were the dark hallway scenes with Billy. In between takes we would crack jokes and bust out laughing. He also taught me my German accent which I still use to this day."

Bently’s love for horror films does not just come from her past work. When asked which type of movie she is drawn to most she candidly responded, “I mean, I’ve always been a horror film geek. I named my dog Teddy Krueger for a goofy homage to Nightmare On Elm Street.”