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Stars: Susan Gayle-Watts, Ranen Navat, Aj Bowen, Sean O’Bryan, Emily Goss, Rebekah Kennedy | Written and Directed by Pierre Tsigaridis

From the off, Pierre Tsigaridis’ sophomore film, Traumatika, promises its audience an exploration of the various sub-types of childhood trauma, focusing on emotional, physical, and sexual abuse alongside a gratuitous amount of violence.

The story is told non-linearly, starting in present-day L.A. We are introduced to Jennifer Novac’s (Susan Gayle-Watts) highly exploitative – verging on evil – true crime show intent on exploring a spate of child murders that occurred in 2003 in Pasadena, California. But, before we get there, the audience is transported back further in time to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, when a lone wanderer buries a mysterious artefact only to then commit suicide after being plagued by visions of his child’s death at the hands of the demon Volpaazu.

93 years later, and we shift to a young Mikey’s (Ranen Navat) bedroom.

Bloody Disgusting has teamed up with Lionsgate to release seven modern horror favorites on Blu-ray + Digital in limited edition SteelBook packaging, available exclusively at Walmart today.

The line includes Wolf Creek, Hannibal Rising, I Spit on Your Grave, You’re Next, Sinister, Texas Chainsaw, and Leatherface.

Priced at $22.96, each title features brand new artwork by Bond.

Wolf Creek is written and directed by Greg McLean. John Jarratt, Nathan Phillips, Cassandra Magrath, and Kestie Morassi star.

In the 2005 film, a trio of stranded backpackers in remote Australia fall prey to a psychopathic local, who takes them captive and tortures them.

Wolf Creek special features:

Unrated Cut of the Film Audio Commentary by Director Greg McLean, Executive Producer Matt Hearn, and Actors Cassandra Magrath and Kestie Morassi The Making Of Wolf Creek Deleted Scene Theatrical Trailer

Hannibal Rising is directed by Peter Webber and written by Thomas Harris, based on his own novel.

“It’s not a remake. It’s not a sequel. And it’s not based on a Japanese one.”

Hatchet‘s festival tagline — a quote from a major studio’s rejection of the film — served as a rally cry for horror fans. Despite its roots planted firmly in practical effects-driven ’80s slashers a la Friday the 13th, Hatchet felt fresh and exciting when it arrived in 2006; a gory but lighthearted reprieve from torturous studio horror littered with janky CGI and cheap scares.

Willed into existence by writer-director Adam Green based on a character he conceived as an 8-year-old summer camper, the Hatchet franchise centers on Victor Crowley — the hulking, vengeful spirit of a deformed boy that haunts the swamps of New Orleans. Kane Hodder brings a similar physicality to the role as he did to Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Parts VII-x, but Crowley is more ferocious. The casting...

Dive into the chilling depths of cult horror with Ti West’s 2013 masterpiece, The Sacrament. Known for his unsettling and atmospheric films like X, Pearl, The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers, and the upcoming MaXXXine, Ti West delivers yet another spine-tingling experience with The Sacrament.

Now, thanks to Second Sight Films, you can add this cult favorite to your collection with the new Limited Edition and Standard Edition Blu-ray releases. Want a chance to win? Keep reading!

The Sacrament giveaway

The new collector’s edition out now is presented in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Chris Malbon along with a 70-page booklet with new essays and a raft of fantastic special features, including new interviews, a newly edited making of documentary and more.

The Sacrament follows a small news team—played by Aj Bowen, Joe Swanberg, and Amy Seimetz—as they accompany a desperate man on a...

‘A masterclass in unsettling chills from Ti West, lit up by another strong Seimetz turn’

★★★★

Empire Magazine

‘As with all of West’s work this is a good-looking, well-acted film shot through with moments of real power’

Time Out

‘Deserves top marks for being one creepy thriller. The cast do a remarkable job and Jones is absolutely perfect’

Bloody Disgusting

‘Performances are excellent, the atmosphere tense’

Total Film

One of the most prominent horror filmmakers of his generation, Ti West has directed a slew of successful films, including X, Pearl, The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers and the upcoming MaXXXine. Now The Sacrament, the director’s 2013 cult favourite, is the latest horror to get the Second Sight Films Limited Edition Blu-ray treatment, which is set for release this June alongside a Standard Edition Blu-ray.

The new collector’s edition will be released on 24th June 2024 and is presented in...

The Strangers film series is back with the first film of a new standalone trilogy, and while it may not be as good as the previous two films it is certainly making bank at the box office. Directed by Renny Harlin from a screenplay by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, the 2024 film titled The Strangers: Chapter 1 is a horror film that follows the story of a young couple as their car breaks down in a small town and they are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. But things get even worse when three masked strangers try to kill them. So, if you have loved all the previous The Strangers films and you are okay with the latest one here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Becky (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Yale Production and BoulderLight Pictures

Becky is an action thriller film directed...

Thanksgiving is a horror slasher film directed by Eli Roth, from a screenplay by Jeff Rendell. The film is based on Roth’s mock trailer of the same name from the 2007’s Grindhouse, after many years of discussions and nearly going into production, the much-awaited Thanksgiving film is finally here and it is set during the Black Friday 2022 in Plymouth, Massachusetts as many people are crushed to death during the riot, despite the intervention of police and town sheriff Eric Newlon. Thanksgiving stars Patrick Dempsey, Addison Rae, Gina Gerson, Rick Hoffman, Nell Verlaque, Tim Dillon, Jenna Warren, and Milo Manheim. So, if you loved Thanksgiving here are some similar movies you could watch next.

You’re Next (Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Lionsgate

You’re Next is nothing if not a brilliant slasher horror for the genre fans. Directed by Adam Wingard, the 2013 film follows the story of the Davison family,...

Shudder is nothing if not a goldmine of content, with basically something to watch for everyone, and today we are making a list of the best 7 new movies on Shudder in December 2023 that you can watch right now. The movies included in this list are Shudder’s exclusives and resurrected. The titles are ranked according to their availability dates.

It’s A Wonderful Knife (December 1)

Synopsis: A year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie Carruthers’ life is less than wonderful — but when she wishes she’d never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe and discovers that without her, things could be much, much worse. Now the killer is back, and she must team up with the town misfit to identify the killer and get back to her own reality. It’S A Wonderful Life by way of Scream.

Black Christmas...

It’s Thanksgiving Week, which means it’s time to theme our horror viewing accordingly. Because tradition is a cornerstone of holiday celebrations, expect to find requisite Thanksgiving horror along with an unconventional holiday pick or two on this list. These titles share the core themes of the holiday, either through the rituals of preparing meals or a sense of family togetherness through survival, even if they’re not always actually set on Thanksgiving.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Blood Rage – Night Flight

When it comes to Thanksgiving set horror, slasher Blood Rage has emerged as the reigning holiday champion in recent years. Todd (Mark Soper) spends a decade in an asylum after twin Terry (also Soper) frames him for murder. He escapes on Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect excuse for Terry to unleash his inner homicidal maniac,...

The following post contains spoilers about "Killers of the Flower Moon."

The horrors inflicted upon the Osage people during a string of ghastly murders throughout the 1920s are among the worst atrocities ever committed against Indigenous Americans. Anyone familiar with U.S. history during the Old West will know that's saying a lot. Based upon the 2017 book by David Grann, director Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" uncovers the systematic infiltration of nefarious white men into the lives and affairs of the Indigenous Osage Nation after vast deposits of oil were found on their land. The enormous wealth the Osage possessed led to a string of mysterious deaths that were always deemed accidental or never investigated in the first place. 

As the murders piled up, men like Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Bill Smith (Jason Isbell) married into Osage families and waited patiently for their share of the...

Summer is underway and June is already ending, but we’ve still got plenty of goodies rolling out on Screambox as we barrel towards the fast-approaching Halloween season.

First, make sure you catch the definitive Robert Englund documentary, Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, now streaming, as well as the Screambox Original sci-fi horror movie everyone’s raving about, New Religion, also now streaming.

Getting a head start on Christmas in July, today we just unwrapped 24 shorts by 24 directors from around the globe with the horror anthology film Deathcember.

The premise of Deathcember, provided by Shout! Factory, is incredibly fun, with the film playing out like a cinematic advent calendar.

The “ultimate advent horror anthology” film’s full list of directors includes Dominic Saxl, Michael Varrati, Lazar Bodroža, Florian Frerichs, Isaac Ezban, Sonia Escolano, Bob Pipe, Steve De Roover, Jürgen Kling, Ama Lea, Sadrac González-Perellón, Julian Richards, Lee Sang-woo,...

The Signal cast and crew (from left): Co-writer/co-director Jacob Gentry, actor Aj Bowen, co-director Dan Bush, actress Cheri Christian, producer Alexander Motlagh, co-writer/co-director David Bruckner, actor Scott Poythress and actor Chad McKnight. The relationship between filmmakers and critics can be a complicated one. Directors can spend years getting something made,...

Other winners include ‘Blast’, ‘The Righteous’.

Oh-Seung Kwon’s Korean thriller Midnight has won the best feature award at UK genre festival Grimmfest, which ran as a hybrid in-person and online event this year.

The film, which debuted in South Korea in June this year, centres on a deaf mother and daughter who interrupt a serial psychopath as he attempts to claim his next victim, only to finds his wrath redirected toward them instead. Korean sales firm Finecut is handling sales on the title.

Scroll down for the full list of winners.

The award was chosen by a jury consisting of Stewart Bridle,...

A clever twist elevates this cynical but conventional crime thriller to another level – even if it comes late in the day

From Kiss Me Deadly to Repo Man to Pulp Fiction, the suitcase/car boot with mysterious contents has a distinct lineage in Los Angeles-set cinema. Perhaps a cipher for the city’s legendary transience and elusive promises, another one shows up in this snarky low-budget crime thriller in the hands of Charlotte (Sophie Dalah). She does a runner with it from the house of an ex-boyfriend, instructing her ride-share driver Russell (Aj Bowen) to sit outside and keep the motor running.

This is just the first stop. Russell, in a white Porsche that is all that remains of his payout from prematurely selling his share of a successful app, is needled by the pretty, insouciant Australian he picks up. Initially flirtatious, Charlotte enjoys pushing the middle-aged man’s buttons.

Russell (Aj Bowen) used to be in computing. Now he works as a ride share driver, something which he usually finds relaxing, getting to meet all sorts of different, interesting people over the course of a night. But one night he meets Charlotte (Sophie Dalah). She’s a whole different category of passenger. She’s either sulking in silence or talking non-stop, and before long it becomes apparent that she’s up to her neck in something seriously dodgy. Russell faces the most dramatic night of his life, and one that will change everything he thought he knew – if he can survive until the morning.

How much do you feel you know about Russell and Charlotte from that description? When it comes to introducing people, cinema is full of tricks. These also influence the way we imagine that characters feel about each other. We can see that Charlotte irritates Russell – that some.

Dark Sky Films proudly announces the September DVDreleases of Night Drive and Blood Conscious. An Unforgettably Shocking Ride From Dark Sky Films Night Drive Comes to DVD on September 21st Russell (Aj Bowen) is a driver in Los Angeles who’s reeling from a series of bad decisions. While his life seems to be caught in a downward …

The post Dark Sky Films Brings Night Drive & Blood Conscious to DVD this September appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Stars: Aj Bowen, Sophie Dalah, Scott Poythress | Written by Meghan Leon | Directed by Meghan Leon, Brad Baruh

Russell is a rideshare driver with a Porsche. That’s about all he has left after his career and marriage fell apart. So when Charlotte (Sophie Dalah; Satanic) starts offering him large amounts of cash to cancel his plans and drive her around the city, and not log it in his app, he agrees. She comes running out of her first stop with a small box, and her ex in hot pursuit. But that’s just a taste of what’s to come. When they accidentally hit a pedestrian Charlotte convinces him not to call the police, she can help him get rid of the body. When the body steals the Porche and drives off into the night, that’s when it really gets weird.

Set against the backdrop of Christmas in Los Angeles,...

We Need To Do Something: "After Melissa and her family seek shelter from a storm, they become trapped. With no sign of rescue, hours turn to days and Melissa comes to realize that she and her girlfriend Amy might have something to do with the horrors that threaten to tear her family - and the entire world - apart."

Directed by Sean King O’Grady Starring Sierra McCormick, Vinessa Shaw, Pat Healy, John James Cronin and Lisette Alexis Written by and Max Booth III

Opening in theaters, Digital and VOD on Friday, September 3

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Recon: Reality Escape Convention: "Room Escape Artist announces the full line up and schedule for the second annual Reality Escape Convention (Recon), taking place online August 22 and 23, 2021, including the addition of veteran actor and immersive creator Neil Patrick Harris, who will be joining the virtual stage Sunday, August 22nd to introduce the keynote speakers and kick things off!

Here's a film that will soon be streaming and belongs on your radar, especially if you relish independent horror movies: The Old Ways, from the people who made The Mortuary Collection. Heading to Netflix on August 25, The Old Ways debuted at the Sitges Film Festival last year, which seems like an eternity ago. Directed by Christopher Alender and written by Marcos Gabriel, the film stars Brigitte Kali Canales, Andrea Cortés, Julia Vera, Sal Lopez, and Aj Bowen. What's it about, you ask, because you are a fan of independent horror movies and/or Aj Bowen? According to the official synopsis: "When Cristina Lopez -- a Mexican American reporter -- returns to her ancestral homeland of Veracruz chasing a story on witchcraft and faith healers, she...

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

Directed by Bradford Baruh & Meghan Leon, Night Drive is now available in select theaters and on Digital/VOD and we have an exclusive clip just for Daily Dead viewers! The clip below features co-stars Aj Bowen and Sophie Dalah, and we were fortunate to have co-director Bradford Baruh provide us with some backstory on both the making of the film and the scene you're about to watch:

When Meghan Leon and I were developing Night Drive, we discussed the positives and negatives of shooting a car-based feature. The simplicity of set-ups and the small scale were great in terms of showcasing these two wonderful actors and keeping our budget where it needed to be, but it also creates a visual challenge. Small car interiors are always hard to shoot as it can threaten to make things repetitive and really restrict the ability to keep the visuals dynamic; after all it...

Aj Bowen is a cool cat. He's always been a cool cat, so to speak, and that's how we find him in the initial moments of our exclusive clip from Night Drive: calm and cool. Due out tomorrow, Night Drive has been described as "a shocking ride-along film with a wicked sense of humor," according to the distributor, Dark Sky Films, a distributor we trust, more times than not, to deliver shocking films, sometimes wicked, sometimes with a wicked sense of humor, but invariably worth watching. I'm sure you're curious now to read the official synopsis: "Russell is a driver in Los Angeles who's reeling from a series of bad decisions. While his life seems to be caught in...

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

A two-hander, often confined to a single vehicle, there might be shades of Drive or Collateral, but that Tiptronic Aristotlean unity is shared with other fare like 4x4 and Locke. This is discomfiting in places, smoothing over the occasional bounce with a uniformity of look and tone. Pedants might object to it being dated to the 22nd day of Christmas but error and repetition are indicative.

When talking about films there is an expectation created by using the word 'twist', and even in the act of typing it an expectation is created. Yet Night Drive isn't just about expectations, spurning winding roads for the suburban and motorway emptiness of Los Angeles.

Indeed, for all the turns it's the two central - Aj Bowen as rideshare driver Russel, and Sophie Dalah's Charlotte - that convey us best. He, older, sufficiently on his uppers to be using a pristine Porsche...

Dark Sky Films is making a sharp turn from horror to thriller with their next, Night Drive, which stars You’re Next and The Signal‘s Aj Bowen as a driver in Los Angeles who’s reeling from a series of bad decisions. “While his life seems to be caught in a downward spiral, a business proposition from an alluring but enigmatic passenger named […]...

Russell (Aj Bowen) is a good guy. We know because his joint rideshare driver helps a customer by carrying her giant wreath to the door before refusing a tip with a genuine “Merry Christmas.” You kind of have to be if you’re working a thankless job on the biggest holiday of the year so you won’t go insane before igniting a killing spree. “Good” doesn’t equal “saint,” however. He’s not going to pass up a couple hundred dollars when the next fare (Sophie Dalah’s Charlotte) asks him to wait for her without wanting to waste time putting in a second destination. And he’s not above massaging a couple hundred more out by saying he’ll have to cancel plans to comply. So don’t believe he’s innocent of what transpires next.

Complicity is one thing, but active participation is different. Russell watches Charlotte...

Dark Sky Films have announced the August 6th US theatrical and digital release of Night Drive, a shocking ride with a wicked sense of humor from the filmmakers behind the cabin-in-the-woods thriller Dead Night.

Russell is a driver in Los Angeles who’s reeling from a series of bad decisions. While his life seems to be caught in a downward spiral, a business proposition from an alluring but enigmatic passenger named Charlotte proves too good to turn down. A simple ride turns deadly, catapulting Russell into an even darker place, but Charlotte may be the key to a second chance he thought he’d never have… if he can make it through the night.

Surprising at every turn and with a wickedly dark sense of humor, directors Meghan Leon’s and Bradford Baruh’s Night Drive is an unforgettably shocking ride-along with a seemingly normal man and the most abnormal of passengers…...

Vixen By Micheline Pitt Announces New Ghostbusters™ Clothing And Accessories Collection: "Los Angeles, CA – June 21, 2021 – Vixen by Micheline Pitt, the LA-based design house known for vintage-style fashion inspired by 1950s bad girls and ‘80s flair, is thrilled to announce the launch of an all-new officially licensed collection celebrating everyone’s favorite paranormal investigators - Ghostbusters!

Launching today at 4pm Pt/7pm Et at MichelinePitt.com, the Vixen by Micheline Pitt Ghostbusters Collection includes dresses, skirts, shirts, and bags featuring and inspired by the Ghostbusters rogues gallery of spectral baddies including the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Slimer, Gozer, Terror Dogs, and more, along with the ever-iconic “No Ghosts” Ghostbusters logo.

“Being a kid of the 80’s, I grew up watching the original Ghostbusters film religiously. Like anyone who watched this movie, I wanted to be a Ghostbuster. I definitely pretended to be Venkman on too many occasions growing up while playing with my vintage proton pack.

"Take a deep breath... Finish the job." Dark Sky Films has released official trailer for yet another new ride share driver thriller titled Night Drive, from filmmakers Brad Baruh & Meghan Leon. This one twists the concept a little bit and makes the passenger the villain as their strange ride goes into the night. A ride share driver's life is turned upside down after an unexpected series of misfortunes. When a business proposition takes him to even darker places than before, he hopes that he can somehow survive the night. "Surprising at every turn and with a wickedly dark sense of humor Leon & Baruh's Night Drive is an unforgettably shocking ride-along with a seemingly normal man and the most abnormal of passengers." The film stars Aj Bowen & Sophie Dalah, along with Reba Buhr. Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting really tired of all these ride share thrillers - they're all so dull and derivative,...

Folklore is way more than just telling stories; it serves as a moral compass or as a guide to navigating life. From the most ancient hieroglyphics and cave paintings to Grimms’ Fairy Tales and even today’s memes, human beings have turned to story and imagery to warn onlookers of life’s woes and how to avoid them. Unfortunately, many culture’s folklore and languages are dying off, and we are losing those invaluable lessons. Even though in modern life we have so many resources and guides, how much do we risk when the “old ways” die out?

The Old Ways gives viewers a shocking glimpse of what can go wrong if we lose sight of tradition, and is just as much a lesson in exorcising our poisonous modern-day lifestyles. Have you ever felt like your work-life balance was crushing you? That your stress headaches felt like claws inside your brain?...

Happy Friday, gang! Before we start to enjoy the weekend, we have one final video interview from our Ihm: Revisited series for you to check out, which is the second half of our discussion with the legendary Barbara Crampton.

Because this was originally shot in 2012, we spoke with Crampton about her reemergence in the world of horror with the films You’re Next and The Lords of Salem, and how she found herself being welcomed back into the fold by filmmakers like Adam Wingard and Rob Zombie. In this second part of our video interview with Barbara, she also talk about Chopping Mall, her extensive experiences working in the world of soap operas, and being able to collaborate with a ton of talented performers at this stage in her career, including Ti West, Joe Swanberg, Aj Bowen, and Amy Seimetz for You’re Next, and more.

Also, there’s a really fun...

Happy Friday, dear readers! We’ve made it through another week (phew!) and if you’re looking for a distraction heading into the weekend, we have the second part of our Ihm: Revisited video interview with Aj Bowen on tap for you today. During the interview, Bowen discusses his experiences collaborating with Ti West and Jocelin Donahue for House of the Devil and how his character evolved during production.

Bowen also chatted about working on A Horrible Way to Die with Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett as well as with his co-stars Amy Seimetz and Joe Swanberg, and how he wanted to try and branch out from bad guy roles in the future (this interview was pre-You’re Next which makes the declaration all the more memorable).

Check out our Ihm: Revisited video with Bowen below and look for more interviews next week, right here on Daily Dead!

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Go...

Hi, everyone! As we make our way through the week, we have another two-part video interview cued up from our Ihm: Revisited series. The next pair of interview clips feature indie horror actor Aj Bowen, who blew me away with his performance as Lewis in The Signal, and continued to knock my proverbial socks off in other films like The House of the Devil and A Horrible Way to Die, as well as recent films like I Trapped the Devil, Synchronicity, Teenage Cocktail, and The Sacrament.

In this first part of our interview with Bowen, he chatted about how Creepshow 3 kickstarted his career as he was getting his start as an actor, the collaborative process he experienced while working on The Signal, and how humbling the release of The Signal ended up being, despite enjoying a successful festival run and a slew of great critical responses.

Check out part one...

Stars: Brigitte Kali Canales, Andrea Cortés, Julia Vera, Sal Lopez, Aj Bowen, Weston Meredith | Written by Marcos Gabriel | Directed by Christopher Alender

Directed by Christopher Alender, this US-produced horror offers a Latin American twist on the standard possession story. The result is an engaging and unsettling horror that successfully gets under your skin and throws in some strong allegorical resonance for good measure.

After a short prologue, The Old Ways opens with a bold move, whereby the story ditches the usual character introduction and set-up in favour of jumping straight into the action. American – but Mexico-born – journalist Cristina (Brigitte Kali Canales) awakens to find herself tied up and held against her will in a small room. It quickly transpires that she’s been kidnapped by a group of mysterious locals – including Luz (Julia Vera) and her adult son Javi (Sal Lopez) – who believe that she’s possessed by a demon...

Today's Horror Highlights include the trailer and release details for Deathcember, the trailer for Blood from Stone, and Destination Marfa acquisition news!

Deathcember is Now Available: "This frighteningly festive film has been scaring audiences worldwide, winning Most Shocking Film at Hexploitation Film Festival 2020 and Best Anthology Feature at South African Horrorfest 2019. Featuring films directed by Lucky McKee, Pollyanna McIntosh, Ruggero Deodato, Julian Richards, and Trent Haaga and performances by genre favorites including Sean Bridgers, Barbara Crampton, Richard Glover, Aj Bowen, Tiffany Shepis and many more, these spine-tingling tales will make you ready to deck the halls…with dread!

Deathcember is the world’s first cinematic Advent calendar. Behind its doors lurk 24 terrifying short films by directors from around the globe, turning the season of love into a season of fear, with gifts of blood and terror to unwrap for audiences everywhere. Those who makes it through this creepy calendar will be rewarded with additional segments,...

Toronto-based company also acquires Spiral, Deathcember

Raven Banner has acquired Canadian rights to Keith Thomas’ SXSW supernatural horror debut The Vigil, one of several pick-ups announced by the Toronto-based company on Tuesday (November 10).

The film, a SXSW official selection this year that premiered in 2019 Toronto Midnight Madness, centres on a man who encounters a malevolent force when he is tasked with watching over a deceased member of his former Orthodox community.

Raven Banner brokered the deal with Elle Driver and plans to release The Vigil alongside US distribution IFC Films in early 2021. Dave Davis and Malky Goldman star.

The company...

"They have seen something inside you." An early festival teaser trailer has unveiled for an indie horror film titled The Old Ways, from filmmaker Christopher Alender. This is premiering at the Sitges Film Festival this month, which is why this trailer is being released to build more buzz after its debut. The film follows Cristina Lopez, as played by Brigitte Kali Canales, a Mexican American reporter who goes back to her homeland of Veracruz in Mexico chasing a story on witchcraft and faith healers. But then she becomes the subject of her own story, kidnapped by a local "bruja" and her son. The indie cast includes Andrea Cortés, Julia Vera, Sal Lopez, Aj Bowen, Weston Meredith, & Julian Lerma. This is just a first look teaser, but there's enough creepy footage to give me a jolt. Snakes...! Why'd it have to be snakes?! Tread carefully. Here's the first teaser trailer (+ festival...

Today's Horror Highlights include the trailer and release details for Deathcember, info on Shudder's Drive-In Nights, and the trailer for Sleepless Beauty!

Watch the Trailer for Deathcember: "This frighteningly festive film has been scaring audiences worldwide, winning Most Shocking Film at Hexploitation Film Festival 2020 and Best Anthology Feature at South African Horrorfest 2019. Featuring films directed by Lucky McKee, Pollyanna McIntosh, Ruggero Deodato, Julian Richards, and Trent Haaga and performances by genre favorites including Sean Bridgers, Barbara Crampton, Richard Glover, Aj Bowen, Tiffany Shepis and many more, these spine-tingling tales will make you ready to deck the halls…with dread!

Deathcember is the world’s first cinematic Advent calendar. Behind its doors lurk 24 terrifying short films by directors from around the globe, turning the season of love into a season of fear, with gifts of blood and terror to unwrap for audiences everywhere. Those who makes it through this creepy...

Born on this day in 1977: Aj Bowen La Weekly called Bowen “mumblegore’s go-to star.” With nearly fifty credits to his name, he doesn’t do justmumblecore, but he does do almost exclusively horror. Some of his “mumblegore” credits include You’re Next, The […]

The post This Day in Horror: Happy Birthday Aj Bowen appeared first on Dread Central.

From new original series and recent movies to beloved favorites that generations of horror fans grew up with, Shudder is casting a wide net with their January 2020 releases, including Fred Dekker's The Monster Squad, Joe Begos' Bliss, Ti West's The House of the Devil, The Dead Lands, Tilman Singer's Luz, and the uncut version of Tammy and the T-Rex.

Below, you can check out the full list of titles coming to Shudder in the Us in January, and visit Shudder online to learn more about the streaming service.

Press Release: If your New Year’s resolution is to watch more incredible horror, you’ve come to the right place. January serves up an unbeatable lineup featuring The Dead Lands, a Māori supernatural action-adventure series set in a mythical New Zealand past, the exclusive streaming premieres of untamed Australian horror The Marshes and arthouse-meets-grindhouse masterpiece Bliss, and great new...

We just got our hands on a really cool international sales poster for Josh Lobo’s indie debut I Trapped the Devil (review), which was released in limited theaters and on VOD platforms this past April. Starring Aj Bowen (You’re Next, A Horrible Way to Die, The Signal), Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil), Chris Sullivan (Stranger Things), Scott Poythress (The Signal), and Susan Burke (Southbound), the […]...

In Night Drive, a comedy of errors unfolds after a ride-share app driver (Aj Bowen) picks up an intriguing young woman (Sophie Dalah) and quickly realizes that his passenger is about to keep him on his toes in some very unexpected ways. Night Drive recently celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2019, and Daily Dead sat down with both of the film’s directors, Meghan Leon and Brad Baruh, as well as the cast – Bowen, Dalah and Scott Poythress – to hear about their experiences collaborating on Night Drive, how their tight-knit group came together throughout production on the darkly comedic holiday romp (yay for more Christmas-centric movies!), and more!

If we could start with you, Meghan and Brad, and talk about the story. It’s very ambitious, but it’s all condensed within this one night, so were there any unique challenges for you, in terms of hitting those narrative high points?...

On Friday, September 6th, director Chelsea Stardust’s Satanic Panic will be hitting select theaters and will also be arriving on digital platforms as well. Featuring a brilliant cast that includes Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, Ruby Modine, Jordan Ladd, Aj Bowen, Jeff Daniel Phillips, as well as up-and-coming actress Hayley Griffith, with a screenplay from Grady Hendrix, Stardust’s infectiously funny horror comedy is centered on a pizza delivery girl (Griffith) who gets more than she bargains for after she decides to confront a group of rich weirdos who stiff her on a tip, and realizes they have sinister plans for both her and her virgin status.

Daily Dead had the opportunity to speak with Stardust recently, and she discussed how she originally became involved with Satanic Panic after already being a fan of the script, her experiences working with her brilliant cast, experiencing the film on the road with various audiences,...

Stars: Hayley Griffith, Ruby Modine, Rebecca Romijn, Jerry O’Connell, Jordan Ladd, Arden Myrin, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Michael Polish, Mike E. Winfield, Clarke Wolfe, Aj Bowen, Hannah Stocking, Gina Marie Hughes | Written by Grady Hendrix, Ted Geoghegan | Directed by Chelsea Stardust

For those of you out there that grew up in the 80s, the phrase “satanic panic” will conjure up all sorts of imagery – mainly surrounding a bunch of middle-class mothers up in arms about Dungeons and Dragons, rock music and more and claiming they were damaging the youth of the America in the 80s and leading them spiritually astray. Basically, a bunch of hardcore Christian types objected to anything that wasn’t what, in their eyes, was clean living – think the British video nasties furore meets Mary Whitehouse… And this film plays on those 80s fears, however flipping the idea on its head and casting those middle-class woman as...

Stars: Scott Poythress, Chris Sullivan, Jocelin Donahue, Aj Bowen, Susan Burke | Written and Directed by Josh Lobo

I have mentioned many many times that I absolutely love Christmas movies. And I mean any type of movie that has that great Christmas feeling – romantic comedy? Aslong as it’s set at Christmas, I’ll probably like it! So when horror and Christmas collide I am always first in line to watch it.

That said, I Trapped The Devil doesn’t exactly have a ‘Christmas spirit’ but it is set at Christmas,and the season does play a part in the movie. This actually had a bit of a Krampus feel to it at times (only with zero comedy). The ‘unhappy family Christmas but stuck with each other for now’ setting felt familiar. Perhaps strangely, the Christmas lights were something that stuck out while watching the movie. They add this brightly coloured...

In the second of todays Arrow Video Frightfest preview podcasts, host Stuart Wright talks I Trapped the Devil with director Josh Lobo.

Deck the halls with fire and brimstone. Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when Matt (You’Re Next icon Aj Bowen) and his wife Karen (Southbound’s Susan Burke) show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve (Scott Poythress from the ‘Sleepy Hollow’ TV series) to celebrate the holidays, they are instead greeted with a horrifying surprise. Steve has trapped a man in his dark, dusty basement. But not just any old man. For Steve truly believes that his hostage is none other than the devil himself.

Catch I Trapped The Devil at Arrow Video Frightfest

22th to 26th August 2019

Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7Na.

Programme listings and film details www.frightfest.co.uk/2019films/index.

"Death to the weak, wealth to the strong!" Rlje Films has unveiled an official trailer for the indie horror comedy Satanic Panic, which premiered at the Overlook Film Festival this year. This also stopped by the Oak Cliff Film Festival, and just played at the Fantasia Film Festival this summer. The film is about a pizza delivery girl at the end of her financial rope who has to fight for her life - and her tips - when her last order of the night turns out to be high society Satanists in need of a virgin sacrifice. Starring newcomer Hayley Griffith as Sam, with Ruby Modine, Rebecca Romijn, Arden Myrin, Jerry O'Connell, Jordan Ladd, Whitney Moore, Clarke Wolfe, and Aj Bowen. Reviews say it "will satisfy any viewer's need for monsters, mayhem and... jokes." Looks wacky and weird, and totally original which is what we need more of. Here's the...

Starring Hayley Griffith, Rebecca Romijn, Ruby Modine, Jordan Ladd, Aj Bowen Written by Grady Hendrix Directed by Chelsea Stardust If you’re like most of us proletariats, then you undoubtedly have horror stories from your first day in a service-industry gig. Satanic Panic is the epitome of a bad day at a thankless job. When a […] The post Fantasia 2019: Satanic Panic Review – Ritualistic Murder with Extra Cheese appeared first on Dread Central.

Epic Pictures have acquired the worldwide sales rights for the upcoming Christmas horror anthology Deathcember, which features rising and celebrated directors and talent from around the world in an impressive advent calendar of terror and to accompany the announcement have also released the first teaser trailer and poster!

The anthology was created by Dominic Saxl, who produced alongside Ivo Scheloske, production manager with Anolis Entertainment, and Frank Vogt, COO of Magna Mana Production and made in part thanks to the German HessenFilm fund. Says Saxl:

We’re beyond proud of the film that Deathcember has become. With all the incredible and diverse talent involved, it holds something for every horror fan – and we‘re confident that our collaboration with Epic will give everyone the chance to see for themselves.

Notable directors include Pollyanna McIntosh (Darlin’), Isaac Ezban (Parallel), Lucky McKee, Lee Sang-woo (Barbie) and Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust). Segments from...

In her four-star review, Emily Von Seele called I Trapped the Devil "cerebrally charged psychological horror at its best," and Scream Factory is looking to bring IFC Midnight's Christmas horror movie home well ahead of the holidays with a Blu-ray and DVD release on August 20th.

Written and directed by Josh Lobo, I Trapped the Devil stars Aj Bowen, Jocelin Donahue, Scott Poythress, Susan Burke, Chris Sullivan, Rowan Russell, and Josh Marrott.

No special features for the Blu-ray & DVD have been announced at this time, but we'll keep Daily Dead readers updated on future announcements, and you can check out the official Blu-ray cover art below.

From Scream Factory: "We are proud to announce that we have a new IFC Midnight title planned for release on Blu-ray & DVD on August 20th!

I Trapped The Devil – Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when...

“I Trapped the Devil” sounds like the title of a sermon or gospel song, but it’s a very literal-minded statement coming from the mouth of a leading character in writer-director Josh Lobo’s debut feature. This being a horror film, there’s a chance he’s even literally correct, rather than simply mad. A mixed-bag frightfest, IFC’s limited theatrical release doesn’t ultimately provide quite enough reward for a slow buildup. But it proves Lobo an able helmer (if one who could probably use a co-writer next time), eking decent atmospherics and good performances within a potentially claustrophobic premise.

In a framing device, two policemen break into a seemingly empty house where something is intangibly amiss. As they’re just about to find out what that is, the film jumps back several hours earlier, when others are arriving at the same house. Matt (Aj Bowen) and wife Karen...

Slow burn horror/thrillers require some very specific tools to proceed. Especially when the title is an independent one with limited money and time at its disposal, it’s easier thought of than executed. In the case of this week’s new release I Trapped the Devil, as novel concept ends up ever so slightly underwhelming. Something like this probably needed some stronger acting to keep you invested as the tension builds. Admittedly, the ending is solid, but not quite solid enough to make up for 70 or so minutes that’s come before it. This is far from a bad work, though I can’t bring myself to give it a full on recommendation. The movie is a mix of horror and thriller, told with a vast amount of patience. Set during Christmas, this is a look at a family reunion of sorts gone very wrong. When Matt (Aj Bowen...