Jigsaw and the clan are back at it again this Halloween. Another edition of the Saw flicks will be back, and Im sure there will be blood (once again).

If you are like me and are just getting tired of the series, then disregard this post! Or if you like watching the same story being told over and over again, then check out the trailer below.

Im sure its just full of heads in boxes, chains, needles, strange voices, detectives, etc…

The popular Midnight Madness Programme at the Toronto International Film Festival has announced their highly anticipated titles for TIFF 2008. Programmed by Colin Geddes, the selections for this year include action flicks, Japanese metal music, a cult documentary, missing people, dead people, serial killers and much more. Keep reading for a preview of the more interesting films of the bunch, which will have festival goers up until the early morning… if they can sleep at all.

The opening night for Midnight Madness brings us French director Mabrouk El Mechri’s, hyper-realistic film JCVD. The acronym stands for the one and only Jean-Claude Van Damme, who stars in the film as… himself. In a world very similar to our own, Van Damme is just a regular guy, down on his luck and trying to make ends meet. He becomes caught up in bank heist and has to prove he can kick just as much ass in real life as he does in his films. With obvious meta references and intertextuality, expect something similar to Being John Malcovich - a look at what happens when celebrity and real life collide.

Japanese film Detroit Metal City promises to confuse and amuse, as the film follows mild-mannered country boy Souichi, who moves to Tokyo to achieve his dream of being a pop star. Unfortunately for him (and lucky for us), he becomes front man for hair/power metal band Detroit Metal City instead! Based on an extremely popular manga title of the same name, the film also features a cameo by Gene Simmons as Jack Il Dark, the metal icon Souichi must defeat in order to obtain ultimate metal supremacy. Rock on Tokyo!

Read the Article Here

Harry Penderecki, a once heralded horror auteur, finds himself on the outside looking in at Hollywood.

He hasn’t had a hit film in years, and most in the industry, including his close friends, think he’s washed up. Harry is given one last chance to redeem himself with what could be his best or last picture.

Brutal Massacre becomes just that, as the cast and crew find themselves battling one mishap after another as Harry struggles to keep his sanity against overwhelming resistance to finish the picture and find himself at the top once again.

http://www.brutalmassacre.com/

THEIR award-winning short films put Longridge on the slasher movie map.

Now Mark and Tracy Smith of Optic Nerve Productions are shooting another slasher flick in their home town, using an entirely local cast.

Sweet Dreams is set in the not-too-distant future and tells the story of the mysterious Peter Manson.
It stars Craig Proudfoot, from Ashton, Gemma Cowburn, from Longridge, and Fulwood actor Brad Mayor, who contacted the filmmakers after reading about them in the local press.

And the horror flick could get its premiere at the New York Film Festival later this year after the award-winning producers were invited to take part.

Read the Rest Here

PassmoreLab teams with Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation to Produce 3D Conversions of Short Features.

Ushering the animated shorts of the beloved Spike & Mike’s film franchise into the 21st century, digital 3D technology innovator PassmoreLab has produced the first round of 3D conversions from the Sick and Twisted Festival catalog. Better than a pantleg full of live ferrets, these animated shorts in 3D are guaranteed to have you squirming in your seat with laughter - and maybe a little uncontrollable hysteria, so cinch your belt up a notch.

Make no mistake, these are not cartoons for the kiddies. The Sick and Twisted Festival began in 1990 to showcase works that were deemed too outrageous or adult in nature to fit in among their original Classic Festival fare. Ultimately, Spike & Mike theatrically premiered the likes of Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park), Mike Judge (Beavis & Butthead, King of the Hill), Eric Fogel (MTV’s Celebrity Death Match), Craig McCracken (Powerpuff Girls), and many others. Now many of these creations will be seen for the first time ever in full stereoscopic splendor - warts and all!

“What’s interesting about this 3D conversion project,” said the company’s founder and president, Greg Passmore, “is that Spike and Mike’s demographic is the alternative culture. It tends to be the art-house crowd, hipsters, and they tend to like animation that is on the edge. So we’re converting a whole lineup of really interesting pieces as part of the festival, and what’s cool is many of them are already fairly surrealistic or psychedelic, and converting them into 3D further intensifies the experience.” Passmore noted that the content ranges from computer generated animation to cell animation to even pencil sketches. “As far as I know,” he continued, “this is the first time that anyone has ever even tried to convert pencil sketches into 3D, so we’re excited to see how it turns out.”

Some of the more “interesting” works getting the stereoscopic treatment include “Pirate Baby”; “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” (”a rather strange and twisted piece,” according to Passmore); the festival staple “No Neck Joe”; “Monkey vs. Robot”; from France a piece entitled “Crab Revolution”; and “1300cc,” the tale of an outlaw biker, a scooter-riding Granny, and their fateful and hilarious interactions. Also included are several episodes of the series “Happy Tree Friends,” a particularly… well, interesting… story involving cuddly forest animals who seem to find their way into increasingly bloodier accidents. “If you’re not familiar with ‘Happy Tree Friends,’ notes Passmore, “it’s out there on the edge, absolutely.”

“We’re really excited to be working with Spike (Craig Decker. Co-founder Mike Gribble passed away in 1994) on this project,” said Passmore. “As people who know Spike are aware, he lives the alternative lifestyle and is a very unique and colorful individual, and we think that this is the exact kind of audience that appreciates 3D the most.”

Representing collectively thousands of hours of animation handwork, these films, many of them award winning, can only be seen in number as part of the annual Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation, which embarks on tour this fall.

About PassmoreLab
PassmoreLab was established in San Diego, California, in 2003. The company’s staff is comprised of programmers and scientific engineers, and also includes graphic artists, videographers, stereographers, a musical composer, and even a biologist. PassmoreLab facilities include a full studio, video/film post-production, an optical development lab, and a software development environment. PassmoreLab is a firm with staff located around the world, with offices in San Diego, South Africa, Russia, and the Philippines.

The Car is Back!! By Brian Kirst

“I enjoyed working with all those people,” actress Melody Thomas enthused in the early 1980’s. The people she was referring to were her co-stars in the horror films The Fury (where she played Amy Irving’s best friend, LaRue), Piranha (she was Laura, the camp counselor who actually survived) and The Car. In fact, her featured role in The Car earned her praises from none other than Stephen King. In King’s book Danse Macabre he makes special note of the chilling opening scenario in which Thomas’ Suzie is booted over a bridge to her death by the vehement title vehicle.

Indeed, this beginning sequence is only the first in a series of well thought out moments in the superior, low budget The Car. Released to theaters in May 1977, The Car at first seemed to be nothing more than just another low point in lead actor James Brolin’s career. But over the years people have begun to appreciate The Car’s spooky, character driven effectiveness and it has become a true cult hit.

Recognizing The Car’s vital points, Anchor Bay released it on DVD in the summer of 1998, but it quickly went out of print. Thankfully, the good folks at Universal recently recognized this error and have put that good old black exhaust system back into circulation. Unfortunately, besides the original trailer, there are no extras on the disc. But, ultimately, who needs special features when one has friends? Yep, The Car is a horror party waiting to happen for you and your finest acquaintances.

“Guys, guys – check it out!” – Coye Vega, fashion model extraordinaire and expert zombie wanna-be

“Awesome!” – Dan Kiggens, IMDB lord and horror film producer most excellent

“This is the best movie all day!” – Kirsten Pfeiffer, photographer supreme and mom to one super rockin’ undead baby

Indeed, those reactions may soon be yours. The Car not only features dead-on character work from Ronny Cox (Deliverance, Robocop) as an emotionally ravaged alcoholic cop and R.G. Armstrong as an emotionally abusive alcoholic explosions expert (wonder how that eventually comes in handy, huh?) – but it also contains some seriously awesome car flipping, a little bit of flying car deadliness and some wickedly juicy body squashing by angry car, too. Besides, with Elliot Silverstein’s mood enhancing direction, you can almost feel the dust caking down your throat as you watch this small desert town being haunted by this corporal metallic bad ass. So, now just might be the perfect time to gather some buddies, grab some brewskies and get down to watching – ‘cause, baby, The Car is back!

Gonzalo Lopez is the writer and director of “Embrion” which he has just finished up the editing and now its out and about. Check out what the story is and the official site to get more info….

The movie is a new versión of the classic Japanese cult film “The Embryo Hunts in Secret” directed by Koji Wakamatsu in 1966. The film is an independent production shoot in HD (2K) with a low budget and it’s the first remake of a Japanese film in the history of Spanish cinema. The story revolves around a young man named Carlos (played by Sergio Bernal) with a sexual trauma who kidnaps a girl (played by Mariona Tena) that works with him. During the kidnapping the sexual tension and the violence will make that the two of them change their point views on life and politics.

www.embrionthemovie.com
www.myspace.com/embrionthemovie

Tracy (ZOMBIE HONEYMOON) Coogan who was part of British writer/director Jake Kennedys latest indie movie “The Devil’s Dungeon” which was currently shot in Los Angeles.

She is now in pre-production with the feature movie, “Dark Woods”, in which she will star as the lead character. “Dark Woods” is a mystery thriller written by John Muscarnero and directed by Mike Escobedo. The story follows a couple who movesto a secluded cabin in the woods to cope with a terminal illness of the wife.

As the wifes condition drags her deeper into dementia and darkness, the husband’s friendship with a local teenage girl takes a dangerous and obsessive turn. The emotional feel will be something like “Swimming Pool”, “We Don’t Live Here Anymore” or Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion”. Lots of foreign influence, with some Lynch thrown in the mix. Nom De Plume Films LLC, is shooting the feature film, Dark Woods, this winter in and around Los Angeles.

http://www.tracycoogan.com
http://www.myspace.com/tracycoogan

A severely deranged mental patient has escaped from the local mental asylum and is on the loose. If people were smart they would lock up their doors and windows and just pray this sick fuck doesn’t cross their path. Dickhead Dr. Franklin Grimm is trying desperately to keep the situation from getting to the public since he knows he is the one responsible for keeping this maniac under control and locked in a cell.

Melissa jumps in her car and is on her way over to a man named Alex’s house who she met on an internet dating site. She is listening to the radio and a special broadcast announcing the patient’s disappearance blares out warning people to be overtly careful since this man is unpredictable with no sense of remorse. You soon learn the missing nut job is the towns famed serial Killer John Bromley.

Maniac on the loose is worthy of a watch or two. It has quite a few turns and twists that are actually believable so don’t worry about screaming or throwing your TV across the room like you would want to if it got corny… but this movie never does. It unfolds in true Quentin Tarrantino style with all the flipping around to different moments in the day showing you exactly how it all fell together.

Big Biting Pig Productions should be proud to be the daddy of this dark look at how sometime’s things aren’t always as simple as they seem. Can you trust anyone today in a world full of sick sadistic people? Most of them aren’t nesting in some damn looney bin, they’re out there day after day mingling with us. Some are just waiting for someone like us to catch their eye or to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

http://www.myspace.com/bigbitingpigproductions
http://www.bigbitingpigproductions.com

SYDNEY — Spoofing horror flicks from the ’80s and ’90s has been a dream of one Cape Breton native and now it’s becoming a dark reality.

Bradley Mills, a writer and performer, and his sister, Jacqueline Mills, an award-winning film graduate, are teaming up to shoot The Legend of the Psychotic Forest Ranger in Cape Breton this summer.

“Everything is your stereotypical characters, the ditzy blonds and the paranoid brunettes, and the jocks, and then the joker kids — and all they want to do is just party and have fun. The dialogue is really cheesy. It’s just a great cheesefest overall,” said Brad who wrote the screenplay and admits he’s a huge B-horror movie fan.

Brad will serve as a first time producer and co-director along with Jacky, also a Cape Breton native, and graduate of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema in Montreal.

Jacky’s recent short film, For Wendy, won her school’s top prize and was awarded best cinematography by the Toronto International Film Festival Group.

The Mills are planning to arrive in Cape Breton in mid-July with film production expected to begin Aug. 1.

Read the article here

Review by: AngryPrincess

It’s summer! Pack up the kid, grab your supplies and head out to the house for some much needed rest and relaxation. You have plans of getting there launching your boat and having a nice steak dinner with your family. But as soon as you arrive things just don’t seem right and your friends Fred and Eve are being stand offish leaving you bewildered and feeling slighted.

While Ann (Naomi Watts) gabs with a girlfriend on the phone she is asked to borrow some eggs by the meek preppy boy Tom that is visiting Eve and her family. As Matt stands there in the hallway having a conversation with Ann you can tell something is up as he acts very awkward, nosy, and purposely klutzy. Soon you find out the reason behind the kids actions when his partner in crime Peter joins him.

Tim Roth plays George Watt’s husband who walks into house and into a argument his wife is having with the boys over the eggs and their behavior. Now here is where things start to get good. It turns out Peter and Tom wanna play a game with the couple and their young son Georgie. This game has you sitting there watching, hanging on to the edge of your seat with anticipation.

I loved everything about this movie, but one scene that involves the remote control had me lying awake that night after watching it, trying to fall asleep but it really bugged me how that happened. That was the only part I wasn’t to keen on but after really thinking about it I finally understood why it happened! I think that after you guys watch Funny Games, you’ll be left with the thought of “wow!” running thru your teased and emotionally tired brain!

The latest release from Dimension’s Extreme label is a campy offering in the best, or perhaps that’s the worst tradition of films such as Child’s Play.

The film is written and directed by Mark Jones who is best known as the writer of the Leprechaun film series. This will become evident very quickly as ventriloquist doll, affectionately known as "Dummy" bears more than a subtle resemblance to the that creature of Irish folklore.

An opening prologue shows a drug-addicted ventriloquist mother of two children, Norbert and Angelina, taking a fatal overdose, leaving the kids and the dummy behind. Norbert is the genius mute who only talks through his doll while Angelina is his psychotic, yet smoking-hot sister.

After years of living in foster homes, the kids and Dummy are reunited and plan to takeover mom’s act under the bright lights of Las Vegas and head off on the long trip.

Along the way, Dummy (the voice of veteran TV actor Bruce Weitz) kills an annoying Trick-or-Treater and Angelina leaves Norbert to take the fall. She’s a good sister though and with Dummy’s aid, she kills the cops and sets her brother free to continue their murderous road trip. There are several more encounters with people along the road that end up much the same way. They eventually take a young lady named Robin hostage and amazingly don’t kill her at first, sending the sure signal to the viewer that she will survive her ordeal.

Robin tries to convince Norbert that Angelina is only using him and it’s here where the film gets extremely confusing. You never get a firm handle on just who is talking for the Dummy. Is it Norbert? Is it Angelina? Is the Dummy really alive? It’s suggested he’s running on his own through the woods to capture Robin and he apparently moves on his own on several occasions but the script jumbles everything up so poorly that you’re left scratching your head at the end. The Dummy narrates most of the film and Weitz’ narration is one of the best things about the movie. His deadpan humor and delivery is often hilarious although I could have done without the various musical interludes.

Paydin LoPachin was also a standout as the psycho sister, driven to succeed in show business. She’s one of the more intriguing female horror leads I’ve seen in sometime. It’s just too bad she was weighted down with a confusing script and gimmicks, which went for style over substance.

Review by AngryPrincess

Death On Demand is your typical reality show gone wrong. A famed mountain climber went crazy and murdered his family and then hung himself. Money bags Richard decides to host the show in the old house that of course is supposed to haunted. His partner Pete reminded me of Roger from What’s Happening with his dark framed glasses and lanky build.

So there are three couples that are going to have to find clues and figure things out to win the prize. Could the place really house the spirit of Sean McIntyre and his murdered family? Will Biff and Brad be able to get thru the night with out killing each other? I liked this flick and it had some seriously gory scenes that made me cringe with the thought of it actually happening.

Kristin Grotte plays porn star Velvet Luv who was hired to try an spice up the show a bit, and paying her an extra $500 bucks for each person she manages to have sex with ain’t bad either. Petite Tammy constantly mocks her man Brad’s inability to get it up but after popping some Viagra type pills he manages to get it on with Velvet in the bathroom of the old house.

Will anyone survive the night? Will there be a winner for this game or will there just be dead bodies lying everywhere when the night is thru? Death On Demand is one of the few movies I have seen so far this summer that grabbed my interest- whether it be by watching someone have their Achilles’ tendon ripped out or maybe just Brad’s doofy disposition that sort of reminded me of Kelso from the 70’s show!

“Amateur Porn Star Killer 3” is going 3D?!? Sort of. Director Shane Ryan is making “Amateur Porn Star Killer Part 3” to conclude his trilogy of the seriously dark faux snuff film series, and then “Amateur Porn Star Killer 3D” which will be a parody of the series.

“I was asked to do APSK3 in 3D which I thought was a terrible idea given how dark and handheld the style of the films are, it would for sure make you vomit if you haven’t already with 3D added,” says Ryan. “Not to mention it would kill the seriousness of it. 3D movies are usually campy horror, hokey porn, kids movies, or Sci-Fi/Action. I thought the only way to do this in 3D would be to make it a campy horror porn film. But I didn’t want the trilogy to end that way so we agreed on doing my serious Part 3 version as well as a campy 3D movie.”

Both films will be released as a double feature DVD just after Halloween of this year, with the 3D version also available in a 2D version, for a total of 3 versions for “Amateur Porn Star Killer 3”. Given the 2nd was in 2 versions and the first film in one version it plays out perfect that way. Expect a theatrical run for the 3D version before the release. And for girls who love getting naked on camera, there’s about 2 weeks left to get in on the film if you live in the Southern CA area, as well as for people who want a credit in the film. Check out all the info on the official page:

http://alteregocinema.com/Features/AMATEUR3.html

A few indie celebs have already been cast in the 3D version, names to be revealed soon.

And if you missed out on winning a signed DVD of APSK2, good news, the deadline has been pushed to June 30.

Send an email to amateurpornstarkiller@yahoo.com with the subject “DVD”.

APSK2 Page:
http://alteregocinema.com/Features/AMATEUR2.html

APSK1 Page:
http://alteregocinema.com/Features/AMATUER.html

OFFICIAL “ROTLAPPCHEN: THE BLOOD OF RED RIDING HOOD” SITE NOW UP - June 29, 2008

The official website for the feature film, “Rotkappchen: The Blood of Red Riding Hood” is now up. Check it out at http://www.redridinghoodmovie.net.

Rotkappchen: The Blood of Red Riding Hood is director Harry Sparks’ epic, modern retelling of a classic fairy tale that has inspired many interpretations before-but never one quite like this. The story follows Rose, a precocious German 17 year old, as her mother brings her from Germany to live with her grandmother in America. Although she is happy to see her grandmother, Rose hates her new life: she misses her friends back in Germany and she is teased and ridiculed by the other students at school. Rose can only find comfort in her tattered book of fairy tales until she meets and develops a crush on Nick, the most popular guy at school, and is befriended by Summer, a beautiful sexy coed. But things become complicated as Rose is tormented by Nick’s girlfriend Bridgette, And the once quiet town finds itself rattled by a series of gruesome, mysterious murders…

Principal Photography in Germany, Italy, Austria, Maryland and Pennsylvania continues on the film through September. The film, starring Stefanie Geils, Sativa Verte, Phil Gibson, Nicole Leigh Vuono, Chris O’Brocki, Sheena Norris, Kerri Taylor and Savannah Costello will be released in 2009.