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For me, what mainly constitutes a “bad” film is intention. Some cynically contrived mega blockbuster without a spark of creativity will sit with me far worse than 12 people with a camera and a story, no matter how insane (or inane) that story may be. For example, The Horror of Party Beach (1964) is both, and so much more; it’s an energetic monster romp filled with killer music, bikini dancing, gougin’ gore, and boppin’ bikers. And while the kitchen sink is sadly not included, Severin Films’ new Blu has plenty of groovy extras to lure unsuspecting bathers down to the sunny shores of *checks notes* Connecticut. It’s a gas and a half, you dig?

Okay, so it’s overcast the entire 78 minute runtime, but that’s part of its charm; low budget needs ingenious marketing, and director Del Tenney (I Eat Your Skin) decided to ride the rising tide of...

This Sunday marks one year since the passing of filmmaker Tobe Hooper. Last year we celebrated Hooper's legacy on a very special and solemn episode of our podcast, and one of the co-hosts on that episode was of course film journalist Patrick Bromley. Nobody on the planet has celebrated Hooper's work like Bromley has over the years, especially in the months after the director's unexpected passing, and Bromley's celebration of the influential director will continue in its biggest installment yet this Sunday in a live video tribute featuring some very special guests that will pay their respects to one of the horror genre's unsung heroes.

Beginning at 10:00am Cst on Sunday, August 26th on F This Movie! and running throughout the day, Patrick Bromley's live tribute to Tobe Hooper will feature special guests who worked with Hooper, including filmmaker and Post Mortem podcast host Mick Garris and actress Caroline Williams.

Review by Roger Carpenter

After changing the landscape of American drive-in movies forever with 1963’s Blood Feast, Herschell Gordon Lewis quickly followed that film up with 2,000 Maniacs! and Color Me Blood Red. But Lewis was never one to sit around and relax after another drive-in triumph was in the can. In between these primitive gore classics he also directed other films including nudie cuties, roughies, documentaries, and even a family film entitled Jimmy, the Boy Wonder. But 1967 saw Lewis return to the horror genre with not one, but three, horror features. Two of these films are included in this package.

First up is the film that is highlighted on the packaging for this Blu-ray: The Gruesome Twosome. While H.G.’s first three horror opuses may have generated some (unintentional) laughs, his goal with The Gruesome Twosome was to inject some true black humor into the mix. This begins with the title of the flick.

As audience members, we sometimes take for granted what directors can accomplish with proper financial backing for a film. For contemporary studio fare, having a bigger budget often indicates a studio’s faith in the filmmaker or project, and in the best cases, that confidence translates to the screen, whether in production design, CGI, costuming, or star talent. A bigger budget undoubtedly gives the director more room to groove, allotting him or her more tools to ultimately help manifest their vision into a cinematic reality. And while I surely don’t mean to discredit artists fortunate enough to have millions at their disposal, there’s a certain beauty to the low-budget bravado of movies like Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead and John Carpenter’s Halloween.

If you’re Guillermo del Toro and have over $50 million to create a gorgeously ethereal haunt-scape like Crimson Peak,...

Guest reviewer Lee Broughton covers a trio of grisly horrors. The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest and A Cat in the Brain each feature a pop culture icon in a leading role. Hollywood actor Cameron Mitchell, oddball 1960s crooner Tiny Tim and the Italo horror director and all-round enfant terrible Lucio Fulci find themselves caught up in their own gory and disturbing splatter show. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all three films fell foul of the British Board of Film Classification at the time of their original release in the UK.

The Toolbox Murders, Blood Harvest, A Cat in the Brain

Separate Region B Blu-ray releases

All from 88 Films – Slasher Classics Collection

£14.99 each

Reviewed by Lee Broughton

The Toolbox Murders

Region B Blu-ray

1978 / Color / 1.78 / 93 min. / Street Date December 4, 2017

Starring: Cameron Mitchell, Pamelyn Ferdin, Wesley Eure, Nicholas Beauvy, Tim Donnelly, Aneta Corsaut.

Cinematography: Gary Graver

Film Editor: Nunzio Darpino

Production Designer: D. J. Bruno

Original...

Directed and written by Kai E. Bogatzki (editor of Blood Feast), Scars of Xavier is a fast-paced horror thriller with energy complimented by an electronic stylized soundtrack, and tells the story of a man who by day works in a car wash service, but by night turns into a brutal and vicious serial killer, targeting young women.

Already receiving awards for Best film and SFX at Dark Viens Horror Fest, Best Thriller at the Nightmare Film Festival and Winner of the NYC Indie Film Awards, Scars of Xavier has been reviewed by Deadline as ‘Disturbingly Genius;’ Bloody Disgusting: ‘A Killer Performance’ and Dread Central as ‘A Front-Row View To A True Psychopath’

Kai E. Bogatzki co-produced Scars of Xavier , along with Marc Engel who also stars as lead character Xavier. Devilworks have recently snapped up the film, showing it to buyers at the European Film Market last week. Devilworks president...

The Blood Feast remake directed by Marcel Walz has been generating quite a buzz (read our review here) so we’ve been wondering what’s next for him, and over the weekend Walz provided us with an answer… sort of. He sent over the following photos for us to share with our readers, some of which also […]

The post Get a Behind-the-Scenes Peek at Pre-Production for Marcel Walz’s New Film appeared first on Dread Central.

The road to a theatrical release of the Blood Feast remake from director Marcel Walz has been a long and winding one indeed. Originally scheduled for July 28th, it’s been delayed yet again. Despite trimming the gore provided by FX… Continue Reading →

The post MPAA vs. Blood Feast Round 3: Still Too Gory for R Rating; Heading Back for Round 4 appeared first on Dread Central.

We’ve been talking about Marcel Walz’s remake of Blood Feast for a while now; and finally, after a few delays and a slight tweaking of the film in order to get an “R” rating, it’s ready to embark on its… Continue Reading →

The post Blood Feast Remake Gets a New Rating and Date for its Theatrical Release appeared first on Dread Central.

Marcel Walz’s Blood Feast is starting to look like “The Little Remake that Could” as news has come that instead of opening this weekend, the film’s theatrical run is being expanded due to fan demand; and in order to accommodate… Continue Reading →

The post Blood Feast Theatrical Release Expanded and Pushed Back to June 23rd appeared first on Dread Central.

The 2017 Salt City Horror Film Festival will feature an impressive lineup of 35mm screenings, including An American Werewolf In London and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. In today's Horror Highlights, we also have details and cover art for the Full Moon Features art book and a trailer for Moggy Creatures.

Salt City Horror Film Festival 2017: Press Release: "(Syracuse, NY) The Annual Salt City Horror Film Festival will take place on Saturday, April 15th at The Palace Theater in Syracuse, NY. This year marks the 12th year since the first event and just like every year will include several horror classics screened on original 35mm print, premieres, celebrity guests and several horror themed vendors. Generally hosting between 7-8 total films along with cast and crew Q&A’s, special features and much more, the all day film event begins at 11am and runs all night.

Confirmed films (so far) :...

The first trailer for Scott Frazelle's upcoming practical FX horror feature Moggy Creatures has debuted.

Genre faves Michael Moon (Day of the Dead 2 : Contagium) and Sadie Katz (Blood Feast) play Michael and Anna, a troubled couple who take in a stray cat hoping to rebuild their marriage, only to have the pregnant animal spawn evil monsters.

Watch for more when the film launches a crowdfunding campaign imminently.

Recommended Release: Millennium Bug

[Continued ...]...

The first trailer for Scott Frazelle’s upcoming practical FX horror feature Moggy Creatures has debuted. Genre faves Michael Moon (Day of the Dead 2 : Contagium) and Sadie Katz (House of Bad, Blood Feast) play Michael and Anna, a troubled couple who take in a stray cat hoping to rebuild their marriage, only to have the pregnant animal spawn evil monsters! Get ready for more treats during the film’s crowd-funding campaign. Check out http://moggycreatures.com/ for more info.

The post Creepy New Trailer for Moggy Creatures Arrives appeared first on Shockya.com.

UK genre fans are currently enjoying five days of nailbiting action with the 2016 edition of the Horror Channel FrightFest now underway in Shepherd's Bush, London, and we are chronicling the event with the official FrightFest TV daily highlights packages. Day Three's subjects? Director Steve Barker discusses The Rezort; Director James Crow discusses House Of Salem; Director Brad Watson discusses Hallows Eve; Director Lawrie Brewster discusses The Unkindness Of Ravens; Directors Phillip Escott and Craig Newman discuss Cruel Summer; Director Marcel Walz discusses Blood Feast; Director Jackson Stewart and Actors Jesse Merlin and Graham Skipper discuss Beyond The Gates; Director Jon Ford discusses Offensive; and Director Anna Biller discusses The Love Witch....

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

Sharknado: The 4th Awakens is almost here, folks. On July 31st, we’ll finally be able to experience the fourth entry in the flying shark franchise. To celebrate, we decided to talk to Caroline Williams, who stars in the film, and… Continue Reading →

The post Exclusive: Caroline Williams Talks Sharknado: The 4th Awakens, TCM2’s 30th Anniversary, and Blood Feast Remake appeared first on Dread Central.

London-based genre festival to feature 19 world premieres and 35 UK & European premieres.

Horror Channel FrightFest has unveiled the line-up for its upcoming 17th edition, taking place at its new home of the Vue Shepherd’s Bush from Aug 25-29.

Sean Brosnan’s revenge thriller My Father Die [pictured] receives its European premiere as the opening film, while the UK premiere of Sang-ho Yeon’s Cannes title Train To Busan closes this year’s festival.

In total, the 62-strong feature line-up includes 19 world premieres and 35 UK & European premieres. Ivan Silvestrini’s Monolith, Tricia Lee’s creepy chiller Blood Hunters and Nick Jongerius’ gory The Windmill Massacre are among the world premieres.

Meanwhile, Adam Wingard’s eagerly anticipated The Woods will receive its European premiere in the Main Screen strand, playing alongside the likes of Stephen King adaptation Cell, Italian box office hit They Call Me Jeeg Robot and Cody Calahan’s Let Her Out.

Other Main Screen...

We’ve been holding out hope that Marcel Walz’s Blood Feast remake will live up to its splatter classic roots, and if the trailer that arrived today is any indication, it’s definitely on the right path. Best of all is the… Continue Reading →

The post Gorge on the Official Blood Feast Remake Trailer appeared first on Dread Central.

A reminder that the Blood Feast crowdfunding campaign is fully on its way. The contemporary remake of Herschel Gordon Lewis` 1963 horror flick is looking to fans of the original horror flick and fans of gore horror in general to chip in and support the flick. You can visit the campaign page here. In the meantime, the playlist below will introduce you to the cast members involved in the new flick. There are videos from Rob Rusler who will play Fuad Ramses, and videos from Caroline Williams, Sophie Monk and Sadie Katz who will play the seductive goddess Ishtar. Special effects veteran Ryan Nicholson also chimes in about the project. ...

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

Marcel Walz’s upcoming Blood Feast remake just got a lot better looking with the addition of British actress Sophie Monk (The Hills Run Red) in a lead role. Walz dropped us a line today to let us know that Monk… Continue Reading →

The post Sophie Monk Signs on to Blood Feast Remake; First Teaser Released appeared first on Dread Central.