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Every so often, a movie comes along that words cannot serviceably justify. When you’re a horror degenerate like myself, that “so often” timeframe is a little more frequent. Adam Mason’s Pig is one such title; a despicable, mean-spirited, tragically pointless torture bomb. So sickening that it’s been hidden since 2010 without release, minus a live world premiere on website Bloody Disgusting. Pig: The Final Screenings read new promotional materials, because it’s set to be destroyed after South by Southwest 2017. At least I can say “I’ve seen Pig!” when horror buffs discuss lost movies years from now? Whatever that’s worth.

Mason ties his camera to leading man/co-writer Andrew Howard, who stars as a backwoods lunatic with perverse day plans. On his trailer plot are four captives, all in different locations. When he returns from bashing one’s skull in (the film’s opening sequence...

People can understandably become frightened and alarmed when they feel that someone, particularly an ominous stranger who they know nothing about, seeks joy in causing them irrevocable emotional and physical harm. When that danger finally appears to begin dissipating, the victims’ sense of self-consciousness also begins to dwindle, until they realize their opponent has never actually given up on preying on their vulnerabilities. That powerful exploration into the drastic measures people are willing to take in order to protect themselves and their families is grippingly presented in the new horror film, ‘Hangman.’ The thriller, which Alchemy distributed on Blu-ray and DVD on February 9, had its World Premiere during the [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Jeremy Sisto Talks Hangman (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.

Hangman may be just another down-and-dirty found footage flick at heart, but Adam Mason’s SXSW Midnighter turns the mundane format into a nightmarish invasion of privacy. His killer, whose calling card is that of a noose-tightener, plays the long game here. Action isn’t rushed and pacing is drawn out like taffy, but Mason’s meticulous dissection of a first-hand home invasion works where other equal efforts become dull and gimmicky. Families should feel safe together, but Hangman warps feelings of barricaded tranquility into voyeuristic naughtiness caught on the camera of a reckless stalker. He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, yet the “Hangman” is no Santa Claus – unless you consider backwash in your Oj a present.

Told through the eyes of a mask-wearing figure known as “Hangman” (Eric Michael Cole), we watch helplessly as the crazed psycho torments an unsuspecting family. Aaron (Jeremy Sisto...

From the aliens to zombies, the second week of February brings us a bounty of goodies in terms of DVD and Blu-ray just in time for Valentine’s Day. Take a gander at my picks and let me know what your favorite new releases are in the comments!

Spectre

Daniel Craig returns for his fourth “shaken, not stirred” exploit as James Bond battling the evil title corporation and jet-setting to such disparate and beautiful places as Mexico City, Rome, and Austria. The presence of Monica Bellucci adds even more beauty! $19.99

Buy Spectre

Convergence

Clayne Crawford, Ethan Embry (like you’ve never seen him!), and Mykelti Williamson battle for their souls in writer-director Drew Hall’s horror-allegory about finding redemption in purgatory. $34.70 Blu-ray/$16.75 DVD

Buy Convergence

Hangman

A family returns home from a vacation to find their house has been burglarized, but that’s only the beginning of their horror. Jeremy Sisto...

Alchemy’s latest horror release, Hangman, is hitting Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD on February 9th; and right now we have your chance to score a copy on us. Adam Mason directed and co-wrote the script with Simon Boyes. The film stars… Continue Reading →

The post Win a Copy of Hangman on Blu-ray and Swing From the Rafters appeared first on Dread Central.

Kicking off with a special screening of The Forest with star Natalie Dormer in attendance, and finishing in racy rock-fuelled style with Sean Byrne’s The Devil’s Candy, the UK’s favourite horror fantasy event returns to Glasgow Film Festival with another stellar line-up to shock, chill and thrill. A record thirteen films will screen from Thursday 25th February to Saturday 27th February, alongside a selection of unmissable shorts, guest director Q & A’s, great give-aways and a sneak preview of Paul Hyett’s Heretiks, with the popular director in attendance.

The line-up starts at 9pm on Thurs 25 Feb with the UK Premiere of The Forest starring Natalie Dormer searching for her twin sister in Japan’s most haunted location, the fabled Sea of Trees. The ‘Game of Thrones’ star is making her first appearance at Glasgow Film Festival and is thrilled to be headlining this gala event the...

If movies have taught us anything, it is that nothing good ever comes of cheating on your spouse. Michael Douglas learned the same in Fatal Attraction and, at the other end of the genre spectrum, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau learned the same in The Other Woman. Now, it appears to be the turn of Josh Duhamel, as he finds himself caught in a ‘honey-trap’ in Misconduct – for which we now have a trailer.

The all-star cast makes the film seem very impressive. Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Malin Akerman, Julia Stiles and Alice Eve all join Duhamel in working hard to hit the right notes in the script by Simon Boyes (Hangman) and newcomer Adam Mason. However, if this trailer is anything to go by, the entire endeavour is at risk of collapsing under its own, hefty weight.

Duhamel stars as a young lawyer who attempts to face down a senior and well-connected pharmaceutical executive (Anthony Hopkins). However,...

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The Screamfest Horror Film Festival is the longest running horror film festival in the United States, now in its 15th year. The festival has been responsible for premiering many now classic horror films such as Paranormal Activity and Feast, both of which are having anniversary screenings at this year's festival. Additionally, Screamfest will be screening the premiere of Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.

The 2015 festival will run from October 13th through the 22nd in Hollywood, California at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres.

Screamfest has an amazing star-studded lineup this year, and if you live in Los Angeles, you owe it to yourself to check out a movie or two, or three or four or all of them. Many of the screenings include discussions with filmmakers such as John and Clu Gulager, James Franco, and more. You can check out the programming and purchase tickets at the festival website Screamfest.

Myriad Pictures has made a deal to handle international sales for Hangman, the Jeremy Sisto-starring found-footage horror movie that premiered this year at SXSW. The pic will be the flagship title of Myriad’s new genre label Scoundrel that will launch officially this week at the Toronto Film Festival. Scoundrel titles — spanning thriller, horror and action fare — will be sold alongside Myriad's current slate and will be handled by the Myriad sales team. Alchemy has…...

Kirk D’Amico’s Santa Monica-based sales agent is launching a genre label and kicks off with international rights to the SXSW horror starring Jeremy Sisto.

Scoundrel will curate horror, action and thriller titles alongside other “mainstream audience-pleasing fare.”

Alchemy will distribute Hangman in the Us. The film also stars Kate Ashfield, Ty Simpkins and Ryan Simpkins in the tale of an intruder who secretly places surveillance cameras in a family home.

Adam Mason directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Simon Boyes. Mason and Boyes produced with Sisto and Mary Church.

Myriad svp of marketing and acquisitions Audrey Delaney negotiated international sales rights with Gersh’s Jay Cohen on behalf of the filmmakers.

Stars: Jeremy Sisto, Kate Ashfield, Ryan Simpkins, Ty Simpkins, Eric Michael Cole | Written by Adam Mason, Simon Boyes | Directed by Adam Mason

I can’t imagine what it must feel like to return home after a family holiday, only to find your house as well as your belongings trashed by an intruder. That’s exactly what happens to Aaron (Jeremy Sisto, Wrong Turn) and Beth (Kate Ashfield, Shaun of the Dead) Miller in Adam Mason’s (Broken) latest thriller, Hangman.

However, unlike most cases, this isn’t the work of a vagrant or thief, this is something much more sinister. You see, the person who broke in to the Miller family home, never left and with the help of cameras set up around the house, he can monitor their every move and eavesdrop on every conversation. What starts as minor interaction such as helping himself to food and the families own toiletries,...

FrightFest alumnus Adam Mason returns to the fold with Hangman, a found-footage Funny Games. Arriving back from a two-week holiday, the Miller family unwittingly play host to a cold-hearted malevolent intruder who has broken into their home – and stayed there. Feeling violated, they have no idea he’s still watching their every move on surveillance cameras the meticulous interloper has secretly installed. Nor do they realise their true nightmares have only just begun. Horrors of the everyday reach a terrifying crescendo in this disturbing twist on the home invasion thriller bound to make your skin crawl.

Nerdly writer and host of the Britflicks podcast, Stuart Wright, speaks to Hangman director Adam Mason about his film, which screens on Saturday 29th August at 1.50pm in Discovery Screen 2.

What do Barbara Crampton, Rick Wakeman, James Cosmo, Toyah Willcox, Neil Marshall and Bernard Rose have in common? They’re all set to make an appearance at this years London Film4 Frightfest!

Scream Queen legend Barbara Crampton (pictured above) is Film4 FrightFest’s special guest icon, appearing in no less than four films in this year’s line-up. She stars in We Are Still Here, Road Games and Sun Choke plus makes a cameo appearance in Tales of Halloween. Not only will Barbara be introducing all her films, she’ll also be talking about her amazing career during a special interview event, hosted by Alan Jones, on Sun 30th August at 9.15pm.

Says the legend herself:

To say that I am overjoyed, excited and eager to attend FrightFest as a guest is putting it mildly. This festival has been on my radar for some time and to be included and...

Note: This article was originally posted in March, but what better way to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary on July 19th than with Elton doing his "Rolling with the Homies" dance?! This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of "Clueless" -- and if you're feeling old right about now, you're not alone. Jeremy Sisto was only 19 when he nabbed his first big role as Elton, the dude who made an unwanted move on Alicia Silverstone's Cher and couldn't find his Cranberries CD anywhere. Now 40, he can't believe some of the smallest moments from the film are so memorable for fans ... especially one now-classic bit between him and the late Brittany Murphy. These days, Sisto is at a creepy point in his career, at least when it comes to his roles. The actor was at SXSW to screen his new found-footage film, "Hangman," about a family who is...

After the announcement of the Fightfest’s opening and closing films a week ago, the UK’s premiere horror festival has announced its complete line-up… And they’re not making it easy for us to bring you reviews of the majority of the films screening this year!

Yes, not only is Frightfest taking over the Vue cinema on Leicester Square again this year but they’re also taking over an extra screen, Screen 1, at the old home of Frightfest, The Prince Charles Cinema – which will be the location of Another “Discovery” screen strand.

From the press release:

Bigger, bolder, bloodier…Film4 FrightFest 2015 marks its 16th year with its largest line-up ever. From Thurs 27 August to Mon 31 August, the UK’s leading event for genre fans will return to the Vue West End, Leicester Square to present seventy-six films across five screens, plus a host of special events. There are eighteen...

The 16th edition of genre film festival unveils full line-up.

Film4 FrightFest will mark its 16th edition with its largest line-up ever, showcasing 76 films across five screens at the Vue West End in Leicester Square from Aug 27-31.

This year’s line-up features 20 world premieres, a record-breaking 16 European premieres and 26 UK premieres, with 18 countries represented. In addition, there will be a further ‘Discovery’ strand at The Prince Charles Cinema, marking a return to the festival’s original home.

As previously announced, the European premieres of Cherry Tree and Tales of Halloween will bookend this year’s edition.

World premieres at this year’s FrightFest include Paul Hyett’s creature feature Howl, anthology A Christmas Horror Story, Steve Oram’s comedy Aaaaaaaah! and Liam Regan’s revenge thriller Banjo, while European premieres include Ben Cresciman’s Sun Choke, Paz Brothers’ Jeruzalem and Adam Mason’s Hangman.

Bernard Rose’s Frankenstein, Ted Geoghegan’s haunted house throwback We Are Still Here, [link...

Shadow people, sharp-fanged co-workers, and insistent sinister spirits will just be a few of the monsters haunting the theaters at this year's Film4 FrightFest. The full lineup for the upcoming event is packed with 76 films aimed to unforgettably frighten audiences.

Press Release: "Film news (UK): Film4 FrightFest serves up a fearsome feast with a record 76 films, embracing 20 world and 42 UK & European premieres

Bigger, bolder, bloodier…Film4 FrightFest 2015 marks its 16th year with its largest line-up ever. From Thurs 27 August to Mon 31 August, the UK’s leading event for genre fans will return to the Vue West End, Leicester Square to present seventy-six films across five screens, plus a host of special events. There are eighteen countries representing five continents with a record-breaking sixteen European premieres and twenty-six UK premieres. In addition, there is a further ‘Discovery’ strand at The Prince Charles Cinema, signalling a welcome return to FrightFest’s spiritual home.

We've been signing the praises of Adam Mason on the site for years. The American horror director has a taste for the off-beat and usually has a very specific take on what would seen to be a generic genre exercise. Blood River comes immediately to mind, but he's made some great films over the past years including Luster and Not Safe for Work, which he co-wrote with long time collaborator Simon Boyes.

His new film is called Hangman. It recently played at SXSW to great praise, so we tracked down the first trailer for you to take a look at. Again, while the footage may appear to ape the Paranormal Activity found footage feel, you can tell there is something much more sinis [Continued ...]...

Last weekend, co-writer/director Adam Mason’s tale of home invasion terror, Hangman, premiered during the 2015 SXSW Film Festival and Daily Dead had the opportunity to speak with the film’s star, Jeremy Sisto (Clueless, Wrong Turn, May) about his role in the project, co-producing the film and what he enjoys most about working in the horror genre.

How are you feeling today, after the big premiere last night?

Jeremy Sisto: It was good, I feel good. It was a little intense though because this is the first time I’ve really sort of stepped behind-the-scenes so to be a producer on this made me feel that much more responsible for it. It was kind of unsettling to leave an audience with that kind of darkness; it ends in such a disturbing way that this was a whole new experience for me.

How did you get involved with Hangman...

Pov horror is nothing new. Found footage films put viewers in the middle of the action from the point of view of one or more characters, usually from the perspective of a soon-to-be victim, and slasher films have featured sequences from the killer’s Pov for decades now. But what if that found footage belonged to the killer himself? And what if he never lost it? And what if it was pointless, predictable and far from frightening? Hangman opens with a black screen and the sound of a panicked voice calling 911. A video image soon appears as someone documents their walk through a darkened house — a baby is crying, a man is hanging lifeless from the ceiling and a woman sits whimpering on the floor. The camera’s lens soaks in her pain and terror before a hand with a knife repeatedly thrusts into her stomach. The video then switches to the interior of a parking garage...

Josh Duhamel and Alice Eve have joined Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino in legal thriller Beyond Deceit, to be directed by scribe Shintaro Shimosawa (Fox’s The Following) in his directorial debut.

Malin Akerman, Byung-hun Lee, Glen Powell and Leah McKendrick will co-star in the pic, which centers on an ambitious young lawyer (Duhamel, replacing Dan Stevens after the latter actor dropped out over conflicts with Beauty and the Beast) who takes on a major case against the ruthless executive of a pharmaceutical giant, only to find himself framed for murder.

Eve will take on the supporting role of his wife, but it’s unclear whether Hopkins or Pacino will be playing the chief antagonist. Adam Mason and Simon Boyes (red-hot SXSW selection Hangman) penned the script, which Shimosawa then rewrote.

Beyond Deceit is just one more screen credit for Duhamel and Eve, who are each racking up tons right now.

Leonardo DiCaprio is the Jack we all know, but Jeremy Sisto was in the running for the part in Titanic.

In fact, the man who played Elton on Clueless told HuffPost Live that he read with Kate Winslet for her screen test. And yet, acting with the woman who got the role of Rose just was not enough.

Even though Sisto really wanted the job, he acknowledges that it was not meant to be. "While I was a little embarrassed to reveal one of my many failures in life, at the same time I couldn't deprive Titanic lovers of seeing that alternate universe," he explained.

Photos: Stars Who Almost Got the Part

He still went and saw that alternate universe with those classic love scenes between Jack and Rose, and he thought the movie was great.

Ultimately, he was happy to have had the experience to audition as sad as it was to lose out on the...

Each and every year, the South by Southwest Film Festival comes together in Austin, Texas to shine the spotlight on some of the most provocative and ingenious indie horror films from across the globe. The 2015 SXSW line-up is no exception, featuring a multitude of thought-provoking titles and genre-bending awesomeness that we could not be more excited to check out during the festival this month.

Here’s a look at several of the films from SXSW 2015 that have us excited for this year’s line-up and should stay on your radar once they’re officially released at a later date:

The Final Girls

Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson, Screenwriters: M. A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller

Max and her friends are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980s horror movie that starred Max's mother, a celebrated scream queen. Reunited, they team up to fight the film's maniacal killer and find their way back home. Cast: Taissa Farmiga,...

The only thing more tired than CCTV-found footage movies is trailers for CCTV-found footage movies. At this point – with Paranormal Activity 6 on the horizon – it feels like there is little left to see in the way of groundbreaking, fresh scares. It is one of the greatest downfalls of the modern film industry that as soon as someone comes up with an interesting idea, there is suddenly a tidal wave of slight variations on the same theme, and the audience very quickly becomes desensitised to what once was something powerful and effective. But, possibly, the door should not be shut on CCTV-found footage movies just yet. Not until Hangman gets an airing, anyway.

Selected to premiere at the 2015 SXSW Film Festival, Hangman is directed by Adam Mason (Junkie), who also co-writes with Simon Boyes (Not Safe For Work). It is a story that reaches for us right where we are most vulnerable – sleeping in our beds.

"Often the most fearsome landscapes are hiding the most succulent gardens." We're back with another trio of trailers for our latest round-up, taking you to a 17th-century witch war in the second season of Salem, a killer's home intrusion viewed found footage style in the SXSW Midnighters movie, Hangman, and the delightfully retro tease of the 1989-set horror film, The Barn.

Salem Season 2: The 13-episode second season of Wgn America's Salem premieres on Sunday, April 5th at 10pm Et:

"From creators and writers Brannon Braga (“Cosmos,” “24”) and Adam Simon (“The Haunting in Connecticut”), “Salem” season two opens at the dawn of the witch war set into motion at the end of season one, with its catalyst and Salem’s deadliest witch, Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery, “Made in Jersey,” “Human Target”) at the center of the mayhem as she faces off against new and old adversaries vying for her throne.

UK filmmaker Adam Mason, of films like Broken, The Devil’s Chair and Pig, is known for grueling, brutal, often graphic visions. This year, he hits Austin’s annual SXSW, in the Midnighters section appropriately, with Hangman, a film that seems to marry said visions with Pov/found footage for what hopefully amounts to a scuzzy, unsettling affair. Starring Jeremy Sisto, Hangman…

The post SXSW Trailer: An Adam Mason Home Invasion in Hangman appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.