News

The makers of an upcoming horror game based on Disney’s Steamboat Willie have been forced to change its title following suggestions that it had neo-Nazi connections.

On the 1st January, Steamboat Willie – the 1928 animated short that saw Mickey Mouse make his debut – entered the public domain. As a result, a number of – shall we say – ‘enterprising’ filmmakers and game developers have been quietly preparing their own projects based on Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks’ classic short.

Among the first out of the gate was Infestation 88, a four-player survival horror game about pest exterminators massacring rodents in a storage facility. Among the creatures loitering around the place is a bipedal figure that looks a lot like Mickey Mouse circa 1928.

Not long after it was announced on 1st January, the game was the source of a fair bit of controversy – and not because of its vague Disney leanings. The presence of...

You cannot always subscribe to every streaming service out there. If money is tight and you don't mind sitting through a few adverts now and again then the new UK AVOD (advertising-based video on demand) service w4free.com may be for you. W4free has a lineup of six creature features starting today: Howl, Willow Creek, Infestation, Rogue, Splinter and The Rig. If you're in between subscriptions and still need a genre fix check them out. Werewolves, giant insects, monster crocs and spiky evil aliens...titanic terror is set to rampage across UK screens from July 28, courtesy of new UK AVOD service w4free.com The claws are out and six huge slices of monster madness will be available to download for free, including Paul Hyett’s hairy...

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

Stars: Isabel May, Radha Mitchell, Thomas Jane, Eli Brown, Olly Sholotan, Treat Williams, Barbara Crampton, Cyrus Arnold, Britton Sear, Catherine Davis, Kenneisha Thompson, Zachary Le Vey, Shelby Mayes | Written and Directed by Kyle Rankin

I’ve been a huge fan of writer/director Kyle Rankin’s work ever since I first saw Infestation. His blend of comedy and horror really appealed to my sensibilities. Which means I’m always excited to see what he does next. However all his previous efforts never prepared me for Run Hide Fight… Gone are the laughs and in comes a shockingly real look at school shootings, from inside the building.

A normal school day is brought to a brutal halt when invaded by armed students on a murderous mission. As the shooting starts and the blood starts to flow, Zoe (Isabel May) is lucky to get out alive. But then she heads back inside...

Released today, Monday 6th November, by Cockerel Entertainment, Chokeslam is a fantastic indie rom-com about a female wrestler returning to her home town in Canada and stars Amanda Crew (Silicon Valley) and Chris Marquette (Fanboys, Infestation).

Look out for our review of Chokeslam tomorrow!

Love is Hard to Pin Down: Chokeslam is a film about bruising your knuckles as you club your way through the barriers of love. It’s also about the perils of dating a wrestler with a bad temper.

“Chokeslam is a charming and funny movie” – Quiet Earth

“This film was very, very funny” – Calgary Kid Critic

Chokeslam is available on both DVD & Digital platforms, via Amazon and iTunes; and thanks to Cockerel Entertainment we have 3 copies on DVD to giveaway!

To win a DVD of Chokeslam, just answer the following question:

Which 80s female pop singer appeared in the ring at the first Wrestlemania? Was it:...

XLrator Media

It often makes you wonder about the tastes of modern audiences when horror comedies – a combination of the two most downright enjoyable genres in cinema – usually manage to both be a turn-off critics, and fail at the box office. If ever a genre had the potential for send-up, it’s the one that spawned the immortal classics Unfriended, Ouija and Annabelle.

Then again, it’s entirely possible that a modern crowd just doesn’t want to see horror being parodied. A decent horror comedy (or, failing that, Scary Movie 5) will make fun of all the genre conventions and spoof their weaknesses, and the people who’re itching to see another Friday the 13th eboot don’t want that.

Or maybe they watched A Haunted House and Vampires Suck and wrote off the idea that horror can be funny. It can, but you won’t find many laughs in those opportunistic would-be comedies,...

A one-night stand turns into a long-term fight for survival in Night of the Living Deb. With the European Film Market underway, Mpi/Dark Sky Films has acquired North American distribution rights to the horror comedy from Jinga Films.

Dark Sky Films plans to release Night of the Living Deb in the United States and Canada this September. The latest film from director Kyle Rankin made its world premiere at last year's FrightFest and will receive a UK release from Icon Films, the distributor behind Rankin's directorial debut, Infestation (2010).

With the upcoming North American release of Night of the Living Deb, Mpi/Dark Sky Films will continue their history of working with Jinga Films, having previously distributed Gnaw, Para Elisa, and The House at the End of Time.

“Night Of The Living Deb is America’s answer to Shaun Of The Dead,” said Jinga’s Julian Richards “and with recent...

Exclusive: Jinga closes deal with Mpi/Dark Sky Films for comedy-horror.

Genre sales specialist Jinga Films has sold Kyle Rankins’ comedy-horror Night Of The Living Deb to Mpi/Dark Sky Films for North America.

The home entertainment release is due for September in 2016.

Maria Thayer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Michael Cassidy (Argo) and Ray Wise (Robocop) star in the rom-zom-com about a one night stand that evolves into a zombie apocalypse in which a mismatched couple discover that the only thing scarier than trusting someone with your life is trusting them with your heart.

Icon Films are distributing the film in the UK following its world premiere at FrightFest. Icon previously released Rankin’s debut feature Infestation in 2010.

“Night Of The Living Deb is America’s answer to Shaun Of The Dead,” said Jinga’s Julian Richards, “and with recent titles such as Deathgasm and Southbound we are pleased to be in business again with Mpi/Dark Sky Films.”

Previous...

The zombie romantic comedy is a difficult film to get right. It all depends on the tone of the script and the direction taken by the filmmaker in bringing it to the screen. Films in this very specific sub-genre either focus primarily on one of the elements – love (Warm Bodies), laughs (A Little Bit Zombie), or blood and guts (Braindead, aka Dead Alive) – or strike a fine balance between all three (Shaun of the Dead, Deathgasm), all to varying degrees of success. In Night of the Living Deb, director Kyle Rankin (Infestation) seems to be trying for the latter, but does he succeed?

Maria Thayer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) plays Deb Clarington, a goofy, Longfellow-quoting camera operator for a local news channel in Portland, Maine who, afte [Continued ...]...

Icon Film Distribution and FrightFest have announced a further three films – all of which are personal faves of mine from this years festival – which will be released under the curated banner FrightFest Presents. The new titles are:

Night of the Living Deb, directed by Kyle Rankin starring Maria Thayer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Michael Cassidy (Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice), Christopher Marquette (Just Friends, The Girl Next Door) and Ray Wise (Infestation, Twin Peaks).

After a girls’ night out, endearingly awkward Deb wakes up in the apartment of the most attractive guy in Portland, Maine. She’s thrilled, but can’t remember much of what got her there. Ryan only knows it was a mistake, and ushers her out the door into a full-scale zombie apocalypse. Now, a walk of shame becomes a fight for survival as the mismatched pair discovers that the only thing scarier than trusting someone with your life…...

Stars: Maria Thayer, Michael Cassidy, Ray Wise, Chris Marquette, Julie Brister, Syd Wilder, Brian Sacca, Grant Garry, Ned Donovan | Written by Kyle Rankin, Andy Selsor | Directed by Kyle Rankin

There are some films that, upon viewing, you just can’t help but fall in love with (and Night of the Living Deb is not the only film at this years Frightfest to hit me in my horror-loving heart). Back in 2009, at my very first Frightfest as a reviewer – covering the festival for Bloody Disgusting – there was one such film… Infestation. A parody of nature run amok movies like The Swarm, Phase IV and Them!, Infestation was a near-perfect comedic take on the killer-insect genre (even though those original creature-features are funny enough as they are) with stellar performances from Chris Marquette and Ray Wise. Well that was 6 years ago. a long six years. Since then director Kyle Rankin has been...

After a girls’ night out, endearingly awkward Deb wakes up in the apartment of the most attractive guy in Portland, Maine. She’s thrilled, but can’t remember how she got there. Pretty boy Ryan only knows it was a mistake and ushers her out the door… into a full-scale zombie apocalypse. Now, a walk of shame becomes a fight for survival as the mismatched pair discovers that the only thing scarier than trusting someone with your life… is trusting them with your heart. Great one-liners, a fabulous soundtrack and terrific performances – a touching rom-zom-com delight from the director of Infestation.

Nerdly writer and host of the Britflicks podcast, Stuart Wright, talks to director Kyle Rankin about Night of the Living Deb (a personal Frightfest fave).

Night of the Living Deb screens at Frightfest on Saturday 29th August at 11.15pm in Discovery Screen 1.

Guys, if you haven't seen Infestation (review) get on it. The giant bug-pocalypse movie is hilarious and we've been waiting for Kyle Rankin's big return for years now. Night of the Living Deb, the director's new zombie comedy seems like it might just be it.

The film has just been announced to screen at Fantaspoa, so maybe we'll get some domestic screenings soon.

Synopsis:

After a girls' night out, endearingly awkward Deb wakes up in the apartment of the most attractive guy in Portland, Maine. She's thrilled, but she can't rem [Continued ...]...

We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature has first details on multiple projects including Night of the Living Deb, The Broadcast, Dial 9 to Get Out, and House of Forbidden Secrets, a monster themed giveaway from The Hub’s Spooksville, artwork from The Walking Dead Tribute, trailers for Infliction and Damned Love, and much more:

Night of the Living Deb Casting News: “Night of the Living Deb is an indie movie in development from producer Kyle Rankin (Battle of Shaker Heights, Infestation). Attached actors include David Krumholtz (“Numb3rs,” This is the End, Ray), Michael Cassidy (Argo, “Men at Work,” “The Oc”), Ray Wise (“Twin Peaks,” “Reaper,” “Mad Men”).

It’s a female-driven action-horror rom-com set in the world of a zombie apocalypse on Christmas.

The crowdfunding campaign is gaining popularity for its unusual approach: rather than the...

Vuguru's new 20-part original sci-fi drama "Nuclear Family," starring Corin Nemec, Kinsey Packard, Ray Wise and Sharon Lawrence, is now available on Xbox Live via the Syfy app. This is Syfy Digital's third original series.

Check out all the details of the show on Syfy.com and follow Nuclear Family on Twitter (@NuclearFam).

From the Press Release

For the first time ever, Syfy Digital launched a digital original series exclusively on Xbox Live via its Syfy App. On October 1st, all 20 episodes of Vuguru’s sci-fi drama "Nuclear Family" premiered on the Syfy App on the Xbox Live entertainment platform, followed by simultaneous premieres on Syfy.com, Hulu, VOD, Syfy’s mobile and tablet apps, and Syfy’s new Roku channel starting on October 15th.

"Nuclear Family," Syfy Digital’s third original series following the highly successful "Riese" and "Mercury Men," stars Corin Nemec ("Stargate Sg-1"), Kinsey Packard ("Sleeper Cell...

I know I am down for a good apocalyptic thriller, and Kyle Rankin is keen on bringing us just that with his follow-up to Infestation. Kyle recently sat down to discuss his new flick on television, and it’s there you can view some exclusive clips and news about a possible release date.

Nuclear Family begins the story of a young couple, John and Lynn, who are trying to survive in the woods after what appears to be a nuclear holocaust. They stay on the move with their 11-year-old daughter, Pauline… all the while searching for their missing 8-year-old son, Grant. Meanwhile, present society has disintegrated, and the family must stay one step ahead of the Berserkers: lawless, wild, brutal men who rape,pillage and destroy as a way of life. Shot as a pilot presentation for a TV series the story will take this family, and the others they...

Like always, Comic Con International is revealing the schedule of events day by day. It certainly makes planning a lot easier. But that's neither here nor there. There's a lot of panels to cover, so let's just get to it. Check out the pertinent film and television panels set for the first two days of the show after the jump.

The first "day" of the show is Preview Night only, so there's only a couple things happening that night:

6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural: The Anime Series—

Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition with exclusive world premiere screenings of the pilot episodes of three of the most highly anticipated TV series pilots of the 2011-12 television season — Alcatraz, Person of Interest, and The Secret Circle — as well as Supernatural: The Anime Series,...

We're less than two weeks away from the 2011 San Diego Comic Con, and convention organizers have finally released the schedule for the first day of programing. You can find the full schedule on comic-con.org [1], or after the jump I've listed the film and television highlights, which includes the Masters of the Web panel which I've been invited to be a panelist on (In full disclosure, I've been asked to be on this panel for a few years now, but I've only just recently gotten over my fear of speaking in front of large audiences). It should be a fun panel, and I hear they will be giving away some really cool prizes as well. Wednesday (Preview Night) 6:00-9:00 Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings: Alcatraz, Person of Interest, The Secret Circle, and Supernatural: The Anime Series— Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night...

Our friend Kyle Rankin who did the excellent insect post apocalyptic film Infestation (review) is is finally done the pilot for his new post-apocalyptic web series called Nuclear Family which will premiere as a feature at the 2011 Fantaspoa film festival.

Rankin both wrote and directed the project which stars Corin Nemec (Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Stargate), Ray Wise(Twin Peaks, Reaper) and Kinsey Packard (Infestation).

Synopsis:

Nuclear Family tells the story of a young couple, John & Lynn, who are trying to survive in the woods after a nuclear holocaust. They stay on the move with their 11-year old daughter Pauline... all the while searching for their missing 8-year old son, Grant. Meanwhile, society has disintegrated and the family must stay one step ahead of the Berserkers: lawless, wild, brutal men who rape, pillage, & destroy as a way of life (lead by a sadistic figure called The Man: Ray Wise).

We...

Fantaspoa, the biggest fantastic film festival in Latin America, has announced its full line-up this week. The festival will present a total of 150 films from across the genres (55 short films and 95 feature films) and the festival will bring to Brazil more than 20 international guests. The fest will present the world première of highly awaited Brazillian feature films, such as Pólvora Negra (Black Gunpowder), directed by Kapel Furman and our opening film The Night of the ChupaCabras, directed by Rodrigo Aragão. Also, in the festival, Kyle Rankin (Infestation, The Battle of Shaker Heights) will be present to première his anticipated new feature: Nuclear Family. The closing film of the festival will be Stake Land, presented by Jim Mickle. In the short film slate, some highlights include The Lost Thing (Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan), winner of this years’ Oscar for Best Animated short film, Maska (The Quay Brothers) based on the text of the polish master,...

Fantaspoa, the biggest fantastic film festival in Latin America, has announced its full line-up this week. The festival will present a total of 150 films from across the genres (55 short films and 95 feature films) and the festival will bring to Brazil more than 20 international guests. The fest will present the world première of highly awaited Brazillian feature films, such as Pólvora Negra (Black Gunpowder), directed by Kapel Furman and our opening film The Night of the ChupaCabras, directed by Rodrigo Aragão. Also, in the festival, Kyle Rankin (Infestation, The Battle of Shaker Heights) will be present to première his anticipated new feature: Nuclear Family. The closing film of the festival will be Stake Land, presented by Jim Mickle. In the short film slate, some highlights include The Lost Thing (Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan), winner of this years’ Oscar for Best Animated short film, Maska (The Quay Brothers) based on the text of the polish master,...

One of my favorite creature features of the last few years is Kyle Rankin’s superb Infestation. Well, he is back with the post-apocalyptic Nuclear Family, a film that I had the pleasure of being an “extra” on. As soon as we hear of a release date we will let know.

Nuclear Family begins the story of a young couple, John and Lynn, who are trying to survive in the woods after what appears to be a nuclear holocaust. They stay on the move with their 11-year-old daughter, Pauline… all the while searching for their missing 8-year-old son, Grant. Meanwhile, present society has disintegrated, and the family must stay one step ahead of the Berserkers: lawless, wild, brutal men who rape,pillage and destroy as a way of life. Shot as a pilot presentation for a TV series the story will take this family, and the others they meet along...

Year: 2010

Directors: James MacPherson

Writers: Anne K. Black/Jason Faller/Kynan Griffin/ Justin Partridge

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: agentorange

Rating: 7 out of 10

My theory that Park Rangers derive their powers from their moustaches was proved right when I caught Orcs! over the weekend. You might have thought they get them from their excessive slacking, pot smoking or even their ability to keep cashew crumbs off their boxer shorts, but no - it's all about the moustache, baby.

Orcs! is a low budget horror/comedy about Orcs that come down from their mountain home and terrorize a Nationl Park. The film aims for the funny bone before the juggular and while it won't have you rolling on the floor, it at least has what it takes to make you consistently crack a smile. This is due in huge part to the pairing of Park Rangers Cal played by Adam Johnson...

Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…

?8.00pm Human Target (SyFy)

Chance’s hunt for a friend’s killer leads him to the Russian Embassy, where his quest for vengeance leaves him embroiled in an international arms deal – and up against a beautiful female counterpart who proves more than a match for him. Guest stars Emmanuelle Vaugier

9.00pm Highlander (ITV 4)

Set initially in the 16th century, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) is a young Scottish warrior. A poor fighter, he’s fatally wounded in a clan battle. Surprisingly he does not die, but miraculously recovers. His clan cast him out, believing that he is the devil. While living alone in the Highlands, MacLeod meets a mysterious Spaniard – Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez (Sean Connery) – who tells him that he is of a race of immortals.

Kyle Rankin, my hat is off to you. You clearly have one fearsome set of stones.

The director of Infestation is currently hard at work on Nuclear Family, a post apocalyptic thriller with Rankin regular Ray Wise once again featured in a key role. What it doesn't have, apparently, is Rankin's regular infusion of goofy comedy, the director apparently opting to play things straight this time. What it also doesn't have, apparently, is a locked script or even a firm commitment to a set format. With a pair of cameras roaming the set, Rankin is leaving his actors free to experiment and improvise heavily with the whole thing shot in verite style. And once he feels like it's all shot he's going to figure out what it is. Web series? Television? Feature? Maybe.

This sort of free form approach to things is one that can be hugely rewarding if you've...

Kyle Rankin, writer and director of the post-apocalyptic horror flick Infestation, is heading back to the subgenre that afforded him some critical success with another futuristic horror project. If you’re of the mind that we don’t get enough cannibal, mutant rapists in our steady diet of horror flicks, then you’re in luck!

Quiet Earth got the drop on Rankin’s newest post-nuke project, Nuclear Family, which “tells the story of a young couple, John and Lynn, who are trying to survive in the woods after a nuclear holocaust. They stay on the move with their 11-year-old daughter, Pauline... all the while searching for their missing 8-year-old son, Grant. Meanwhile, society has disintegrated, and the family must stay one step ahead of the Berserkers: lawless, wild, brutal men who rape, pillage, and destroy as a way of life (lead by a sadistic figure called The Man, portrayed by Ray Wise,...

Infestation director Kyle Rankin dropped Bloody Disgusting a line to reveal that he's back behind the camera for a new genre film, Nuclear Family, which stars Corin Nemec (Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Stargate), Ray Wise (Reaper, Twin Peaks), and Kinsey Packard (Infestation). You'll find the first details, along with 3 images by reading on. "It's a post-apocalyptic action/drama with lots of fighting, blood, and gunplay," Rankin tells Bloody Disgusting. "It's about a small family trying to survive and find their missing son while staying one step ahead of a brutal band of lawless, horrible men called the Berserkers." He continues, "We've started shooting in the hills of Topanga, CA, and will wrap on the 20th." Watch for webisodes coming soon.

Our friend Kyle Rankin who did the excellent insect post apocalyptic film Infestation (review) is back with a web series which he both wrote and is directing, and which stars Corin Nemec (Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Stargate), Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Reaper), and Kinsey Packard (Infestation). Shooting has begun and they hope to be finished by the end of April.

Nuclear Family tells the story of a young couple, John & Lynn, who are trying to survive in the woods after a nuclear holocaust. They stay on the move with their 11-year old daughter Pauline... all the while searching for their missing 8-year old son, Grant. Meanwhile, society has disintegrated and the family must stay one step ahead of the Berserkers: lawless, wild, brutal men who rape, pillage, & destroy as a way of life (lead by a sadistic figure called The Man: Ray Wise).

Stills after the break.

Head to Quiet Earth to see the stills.

One of last year's surprises was Infestation , a goofy, violent creature feature about alien insects that invade earth. Chris Marquette starred as an office worker who gathers up a few survivors to fight back. It was simple, amusing and had a few fun twists. Well, the director of that film - Kyle Rankin - is switching gears for Nuclear Family , which stars Infestation Ray Wise, Corin Nemec ( The Stand ) and Kinsey Packard. It sounds a bit like The Road , replace the father and son with a family of four as they try to survive in the woods after a nuclear blast. Wise's "The Man" and his brutal army of rapists and killers make that difficult. Rankin is currently in production on this project which is geared to be a web series. You can check out some photos here .

No surprise there.  It goes without saying that James Cameron's sci-fi spectacle Avatar has the potential to clean house at the 8th Annual Ves Awards for its breath taking visuals by the acclaimed Weta Digital. Cameron will also be picking up a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.  In the outstanding animated feature category, the nominees include Up, 9, Coraline, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. 

The official press release is as followed:

3-D Films Dominate With Most Noms as Avatar grabs 11, Coraline 4, and Visual Effects Company Weta Digital Snags Most Company Noms with 9

Los Angeles, January 19, 2010 - The Visual Effects Society (Ves) today announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Ves Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in over twenty categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games.  Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 16, 2010, by numerous blue ribbon panels of Ves members who...

James Cameron's "Avatar" led the list of nominations announced Monday by the Visual Effects Society, scooping up 11.

The animated "Coraline," another movie released in 3D, followed with four nominations.

New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which worked on "Avatar," led the company noms with nine.

For visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture feature, the nominees are "2012," "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

Noms for supporting visual effects in a movie went to "Angels & Demons," "The Box," "Invictus," "The Road" and "Sherlock Holmes."

  "9," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up" were nominated for outstanding animation in an animated feature.

Ves noms in 20 categories, covering film, animation, TV, commercials and video games were chosen Saturday by blue-ribbon panels of Ves members, meeting in Burbank, San Francisco and London.

The eighth annual Ves Awards will be handed out on Feb.

In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS & Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles now being released (or re-released) on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though any clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.

This week’s DVD releases:

Drag Me To Hell (Universal, $29.98 DVD; $39.98 Blu-ray): Director Sam Raimi (Spider-man) returns to the horror genre. Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is on her way to having it all: a devoted boy friend (Justin Long), a hard-earned job promotion and a bright future. But when she’s forced to make a tough decision that evicts an elderly woman from her house, Christine becomes the victim of an evil curse. Now she has only three days to dissuade a dark spirit from stealing her soul before she’s dragged to hell for an eternity of unthinkable torment.

While out of town on personal business I had a little difficulty tracking down this weeks DVD releases. Unable to fall back on my trusty local shops, I was forced to rely on outside sources to lead me to decent outlets. And though I was lead to a few fair retailers, I was still unable to snag a few of the flicks I was seeking; Gnaw, The Objective, and Imurders are three particular releases I was anticipating that sadly, evaded my grasp. Perhaps once back home I'll be able to provide a little coverage on the aforementioned films; for now, we'll discuss the two discs I did manage to obtain.

After a U.K. television release The Haunted Airman sat in DVD limbo for three plus years. After picking up this 2006 ghost tale it's not hard understand why. Injured pilot Toby (The Twilight Saga's Robert Pattinson) Jugg returns home after being paralyzed in action.

It's another awesome week for DVD releases gang. First up is Pieter Van Hees' Belgium thriller, Left Bank (review, amazon), and dark slow boiler that our own Hal McDermot said was "good at combining the familiar with the unsettling."

Then of course we have a couple of apocalyptic flicks, one classic and one soon-to-be. Richard Stanley's 1990 Pa android shocker, Hardware (exclusive clip, amazon), gets an overdue royal treatment from Severin who have lovingly restored the film and stuffed it with extras. As soon as my copy arrives I'll be posting a review so stay tuned. The soon-to-be classic is of course Kyle Rankin's comic tinged bug-pocalypse romp, Infestation (review, amazon). This is one of those film that does so much with so little and has so much fun doing it that you'd feel like kind of a jerk for dissing its shortcomings. Don't let the bad DVD...

Cinema is filled with multi-talented young actors who bring to life all types of characters. Sometimes, a role is given to the wrong guy - just because he has the looks (pin-up pretty, looks awesome wearing trunks) and the connection (a powerful talent agent at his side). But when the role is given to the right guy - moviegoers get to witness something unique, memorable and powerful, even magical. Anyway, even the 'right guy' needs an agent, of course...

- - -

- - - Underrated versus Overrated: If you've watched Jumper, then you'll notice the difference between Jamie Bell and Hayden Christensen - Bell has undeniable screen presence, I can't say the same with Hayden. It could have been different if Tom Sturridge was retained to play Hayden's part. Anyway, who am I to argue? Christensen has more box office appeal than the relatively unknown Sturridge, but acting-wise?

So,...

Cinema is filled with multi-talented young actors who bring to life all types of characters. Sometimes, a role is given to the wrong guy - just because he has the looks (pin-up pretty, looks awesome wearing trunks) and the connection (a powerful talent agent at his side). But when the role is given to the right guy - moviegoers get to witness something unique, memorable and powerful, even magical. Anyway, even the 'right guy' needs an agent, of course...

- - -

- - - Underrated versus Overrated: If you've watched Jumper, then you'll notice the difference between Jamie Bell and Hayden Christensen - Bell has undeniable screen presence, I can't say the same with Hayden. It could have been different if Tom Sturridge was retained to play Hayden's part. Anyway, who am I to argue? Christensen has more box office appeal than the relatively unknown Sturridge, but acting-wise?

So,...

Cinema is filled with multi-talented young actors who bring to life all types of characters. Sometimes, a role is given to the wrong guy - just because he has the looks (pin-up pretty, looks awesome wearing trunks) and the connection (a powerful talent agent at his side). But when the role is given to the right guy - moviegoers get to witness something unique, memorable and powerful, even magical. Anyway, even the 'right guy' needs an agent, of course...

- - -

- - - Underrated versus Overrated: If you've watched Jumper, then you'll notice the difference between Jamie Bell and Hayden Christensen - Bell has undeniable screen presence, I can't say the same with Hayden. It could have been different if Tom Sturridge was retained to play Hayden's part. Anyway, who am I to argue? Christensen has more box office appeal than the relatively unknown Sturridge, but acting-wise?

So,...

Cinema is filled with multi-talented young actors who bring to life all types of characters. Sometimes, a role is given to the wrong guy - just because he has the looks (pin-up pretty, looks awesome wearing trunks) and the connection (a powerful talent agent at his side). But when the role is given to the right guy - moviegoers get to witness something unique, memorable and powerful, even magical. Anyway, even the 'right guy' needs an agent, of course...

- - -

- - - Underrated versus Overrated: If you've watched Jumper, then you'll notice the difference between Jamie Bell and Hayden Christensen - Bell has undeniable screen presence, I can't say the same with Hayden. It could have been different if Tom Sturridge was retained to play Hayden's part. Anyway, who am I to argue? Christensen has more box office appeal than the relatively unknown Sturridge, but acting-wise?

So,...

Cinema is filled with multi-talented young actors who bring to life all types of characters. Sometimes, a role is given to the wrong guy - just because he has the looks (pin-up pretty, looks awesome wearing trunks) and the connection (a powerful talent agent at his side). But when the role is given to the right guy - moviegoers get to witness something unique, memorable and powerful, even magical. Anyway, even the 'right guy' needs an agent, of course...

- - -

- - - Underrated versus Overrated: If you've watched Jumper, then you'll notice the difference between Jamie Bell and Hayden Christensen - Bell has undeniable screen presence, I can't say the same with Hayden. It could have been different if Tom Sturridge was retained to play Hayden's part. Anyway, who am I to argue? Christensen has more box office appeal than the relatively unknown Sturridge, but acting-wise?

So,...

Curious to know what frightful films and devilish discs will be available to view in the privacy of your own digital dungeon this week? Fango's got you covered.

Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, October 13, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List. It's another Big week, with Sam Raimi's Drag Me To Hell hitting the market, along with some long-awaited classics including The Stepfather, Hardware, and more.

Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com

Angels Vs. Demons: Fact Or Fiction?

The Vatican has condemned it. Readers around the world love it. And now we separate the fact from the fiction in Dan Brown’s controversial bestseller Angels & Demons. We examine the cutting-edge science of anti-matter and question the historical accuracy of theology, conspiracies, symbolism and cults as described by the The Da Vinci Code author. Includes bonus feature:...

Written and directed by Kyle Rankin

Featuring Chris Marquette, Ray Wise, Brooke Nevin

First Look Studios DVD

Review by Matthew Funk

Infestation seeks no deeper meaning than an orgy of survival horror against an inexplicable man-eating insect assault. Its title has no profound connotation. It does not attempt social commentary. It is what it is. And what it is, is pretty damn satisfying...

At the core of Infestation is a tried-and-true story arc: The heroic journey. Leading man, Cooper goes from being a hedonistic shirker to getting the girl, getting the glory and getting to butcher a lot of animated bugs. He suffers mightily in the process. This is the same arc that “Chosen Ones” like Cooper have featured in since Babylonians got it in their head to write down some of the mythical mutterings they traded over sacrificial fires. It follows this formula so concisely that audiences craving more...

First Look Studios' Infestation hatches on October 13 and we've got a slew of new hi-res stills to make your skin crawl...or something like that. Writer-director Kyle Rankin's film is undoubtedly a horror-comedy that begins when a slacker office drone name Cooper wakes up in a massive cocoon spun by mutant, flesh-eating insects. One by one, Cooper unwraps those around him, forming a team of strangers to fight off the infestation. The team and other survivors must battle to stay alive and take back the Earth by fighting off gigantic flying bugs and human hybrid mutants. Chris Marquette, Brooke Nevin and Ray Wise star. Click below for the full gallery!

You know the worst thing about sitting through a horror/creature movie where a group of disparate characters are trapped in one locale and forced to put aside their differences and team up in order to survive the menace outside? You can pretty much count on at least one (sometimes more) asshole in the group that will antagonize everyone, and at the same time simply annoy the living crap out of the moviegoer. Screenwriters come up with these asshole characters because they believe it’s an easy way to elicit interpersonal conflict without trying too hard. (Hey, want conflict? Put a Kkk guy in the same room with a black dude from the ghetto, and watch the fireworks!) It’s lazy and predictable writing, and of course, the forced conflict annoys to no end. Kyle Rankin, the writer/director of “Infestation” apparently feels the same way, because as soon as...

So, the August bank holiday has passed for another year and that means one thing – The Film4 Frightfest in London has just finished. This year held a special meaning to the festival though, with it greeting its 10th year in existence having moved, during that time, from humble beginnings in the Prince Charles Cinema, to the grander Odeon Leicester Square and finally, for the first time this year, to the Empire Cinema (also in Leicester Square). The Empire houses the largest cinema screen in the UK, which was used to display the main catalogue of films this year round. Trust me, this thing is absolutely massive.

Second to this, also for the first time ever, Frightfest organisers Alan, Ian, Paul and Greg decided to commandeer a smaller screen to show those movies they felt should be in the Fest, but couldn’t be worked into the main programme. This screen...

Kyle Rankin’s "giant bugs invade the earth" Indy horror Infestation, failed to make a theatrical (though we reckon it should have) opening, but who cares its due for release on DVD next month. Yes it’s probably a lil bit stupid. It also looks great - old school - creature-feature fun. A cheesy cult classic if ever we saw one. Zip down to the link to check out the zombiefied, mutant, giant bug squishing goodness. Infestation streets in the U.S. on October 13th. The story: “Our hero, Cooper, awakes to find himself nauseous, weak and covered in webbing, hanging from the ceiling of an office where, just minutes ago, he started his new job. As he struggles out of his slimy prison he comes face to face with his opponent - a grotesque, powerful and very angry bug. All 3 feet of it. And so begins a hideous, nail-biting,...

Ahead of its September 7 release on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK, creepy-crawly creature feature Infestation will be among the hair-raising horror films screened at this year's FrightFest.

Written and directed by Kyle Rankin, it stars Ray Wise (Twin Peaks, Reaper) and will be shown at the horror film festival at London's Empire Leicester Square Cinema tomorrow - Thursday, August 27 - at 11.15pm.

In the horror comedy, an office slacker wakes to find himself cocooned to the wall and discovers an invasion of giant, killer alien insects taking over the planet.

FrightFest - visit the official website here - was launched in 2000 and this year is on from August 27 to 31. For tickets, call 08714 714 714 or book online at Empire Cinemas.

FrightFest opens with the UK premiere of Triangle starring Melissa George (30 Days of Night) - the hotly tipped horror thriller directed by Christopher Smith (Creep, Severance). The film will be screened at 6.30pm on Thursday,...

That's right folks, Kyle Rankin's Infestation (review) will finally have its premier on Syfy tomorrow night at 9pm/8pm central.

You can check the Syfy Infestation page for further details.

Thanks to Avery for the 2 reminders, but hey, I was already going to put it up.

You can watch the trailer after the break.

Embedded video stripped, see full HTML version.

Year: 2009

Directors: Kyle Rankin

Writers: Kyle Rankin

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: agentorange

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Yep, I'm one hell of a lucky film fan. I've seen Kyle Rankin's glorious creature-feature, Infestation, and get the honor of being the first person online (anywhere?) to review it. But, you know what? There's someone out there who you should envy more than me. I know, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. It's that impressionable 10 year old kid, tuning in to SyFy on August 8, 2009 and getting his mushy brain converted into a cult-worshiping genre film fanatic for the rest of his natural life.

You know what I'm talking about because it happened to all of us at one time or another. Whether it was the first time you saw the lightsabers of Star Wars, the undead in Romero's "Dead" films or - perhaps even more apropos to this...

Bugs are like living monsters. Think about it, man! They have claws, multiple eyes, pincers, frigin' horns, you name it! There's no reason for them to be crawling around on this planet ... unless of course it's to spread mayhem and carnage so that we can have a full scale war a la Starship Troopers and wipe them from existence.

Ok, got a little carried away there. In any event ... some new stills just hit online today for Kyle Rankin's creature feature Infestation, and we've got them for ya hot and skeevey!

Look for the film to be playing this year's Film 4 FrightFest on August 27th at 11:15Pm.

Synopsis

Writer/director Kyle Rankin’s top-ranking comedy horror is an enormously entertaining creature feature starring Fanboys’ Chris Marquette as Slacker Cooper. Oversize insects have suddenly taken over the world and taking charge of a rag-tag group of survivors Cooper heads...

The horror-comedy Infestation is winging its way into London's FrightFest this August (specifically Thursday the 27th). As a preview, we've received a pair of hi-res pics - one you'll find below, the other you'll discover right here . Directed by Kyle Rankin, the film finds actor Chris Marquette waking up to a world in which giant alien insects have invaded. Brooke Nevin, Ray Wise ( Jeepers Creepers 2 ) and Bru Muller co-star. Watch a promo trailer here .

Not only will our very own London correspondent Ben Austwick be there to cover the fest but it's one of the best lineups ever!

How about the world premier for Pa giant insect comedy Infestation? Check.

Sneak preview of La Horde? Check.

UK premier of Cannes premier Hierro? Check.

The surprisingly good Giallo, the latest from Dario Argento? Check.

The world premier of The Descent part 2? Check!

Full schedule after the break. (Yes we copied Dread Central's post. Thanks UncleCreepy!)

Main Programme - Empire 1

# Thursday 27 August

18.30 Triangle (World Premiere)

The Boat That Shocked! Film4 FrightFest is delighted to open this year’s festival with the first ever showing of British director Christopher Smith’s latest spellbinding horror fantasy. When Jess (Melissa George) hits a seagull driving to her local harbour little does she know it signals a harrowing omen for her yachting trip with friends. From epic ocean vistas to poignantly shocking finale,...