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Twelve years ago, YouTuber Riley Brennan went missing. When, after a long dry spell, a seemingly related tragedy lands on the doorstep of her sister Mia, the rescue mission restarts in debutante director Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks. Chris Stuckmann is one of the biggest names in the emerging landscape of video-based film criticism that has exploded over the last five or so years. Many of these film commentators are content to exist in the reaction/analysis space, but Stuckmann has made it clear that his dream is creation, and that dream comes to fruition with his first feature, Shelby Oaks. Produced by the veteran indie champions at Paper Street Pictures, Shelby Oaks is an ambitious film whose reach occasionally...

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

When Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou first announced that their film "Talk to Me" would be coming out through A24, there were a lot of folks who thought "Who?" but just as many (if not more) who thought, "RackaRacka got an A24 deal?!" As the American monoculture continues to splinter thanks to the internet, niche fandoms can thrive beyond what appeals to general audiences. This also means that folks who find fame outside of the typical pathways through Hollywood can make a name for themselves without having to answer to a studio system.

For the last 15 years, YouTube creator and film enthusiast Chris Stuckmann has been one of the most viewed film creators on the streaming platform. He first launched a series of short-form movie reviews called "Quick Movie Reviews," before expanding to longer-form videos. It's hard to imagine, but back in 2009, there weren't many folks reviewing films through YouTube.

Trim Season

Production designer Ariel Vida's sophomore directorial feature, Trim Season, follows a group of young people who isolate themselves on a secluded farm in Northern California, making easy money trimming marijuana. When Emma (Bethlehem Million), Julia (Alex Essoe), and Dusty (Bex Taylor-Klaus), begin to suspect the farm and its matriarch Mona (Jane Badler) are shrouded in dark practices, they realise they might not escape with their lives.

When I connected with Essoe virtually, she was full of enthusiastic energy. The Canadian actress has long been a personal favourite genre performer after first seeing her in Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer’s Starry Eyes. The visceral character she played in Marcus Dunstan's The Neighbour, opposite Josh Stewart, remains one of her most seductive and captivating performances. Together they show her emotional range, moving effortlessly between vulnerability and a cold, distant and rawer presence, that she has built upon throughout her career,...

(L-r) Julia (Alexandra Essoe) and Emma (Bethlehem Million) work in the cannabis factory, in Trim Season. Courtesy of Blue Harbor Entertainment

If you’re in the mood for a splatter flick with more gore than logic, Trim Season might be your ticket. We first see a woman in the woods killing herself as if driven by an unseen force. Cut to a city, where we meet a couple of twenty-somethings, Emma (Bethlehem Million), who is strapped for cash; and her big-sisterly pal Julia (Alexandra Essoe). At a bar, they’re introduced to a guy who offers them temp jobs trimming marijuana plants. It’s quite lucrative, paying $5,000 for two weeks of seasonal work. The recruiter drives them along with a few others to a remote forested region miles from the nearest paved road. Though the year isn’t specified, it seems to be set shortly before weed growing was legalized.

Our Summer Horror Preview 2024 is here! The 2024 slate of summer horror releases looks packed, which is excellent news, considering the year has gotten off to a sluggish start for the genre at the box office. Not only is the release schedule so stacked that it’s guaranteed to keep us distracted while we wait for Halloween, but this summer also brings some of the year’s most anticipated titles from MaXXXine to Alien: Romulus and Longlegs.

This guide covers the highlights of what’s already been announced, but as always, expect a handful of streaming, Digital, and VOD releases to pop up over the next few months as well.

Here are 24 horror movies you don’t want to miss in Summer 2024…

Under Paris – June 5 (Netflix)

French filmmaker Xavier Gens (Mayhem!, Frontier(s)) ensures this summer is stuffed to the gills with shark horror. This time, a shark swims into...

This week’s horror releases bring a killer shark onto Netflix and the feature debut of Ishana Night Shyamalan into theaters, and that’s only the beginning of the tidal wave of new horror.

Here’s all the new horror releasing June 3, 2024 – June 9, 2024!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

The breakout Korean blockbuster Exhuma was released in theaters here in the United States back in March, and Well Go USA Entertainment brought it home to VOD this Tuesday.

Exhuma is directed by Jang Jae-Hyun (Svaha: The Sixth Finger) and stars popular Korean actors Choi Min-Sik (Oldboy, I Saw the Devil), Kim Go-Eun (Hero, Little Women), Yoo Hai-Jin (A Taxi Driver), and Lee Do-Hyun (Prison Playbook, Sweet Home).

In the film, “When a renowned shaman (Kim Go-Eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) are hired by a wealthy, enigmatic family, they begin investigating the cause of...

A job at a marijuana farm turns nightmarish in director Ariel Vida’s Trim Season, and Blue Harbor Entertainment is releasing the film in theaters and on demand June 7, 2024.

While you wait, Bloody Disgusting has been provided with an exclusive clip from the film featuring “Scream” and Hell Fest‘s Bex Taylor-Klaus. It’s a visually striking sneak peek at the upcoming movie, and it looks like Taylor-Klaus’ character is about to meet a bloody end…

Directed by award-winning filmmaker and production designer Ariel Vida, Trim Season stars Bethlehem Million (Sick, “And Just Like That…”) as Emma, an adrift, jobless, 20-something seeking purpose. Along with a group of young people from Los Angeles, she drives up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California.

“Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that Mona (Jane Badler) – the seemingly amiable owner...

A couple months ago, we heard that Blue Harbor Entertainment had acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the horror thriller Trim Season and were planning to give it a theatrical and On Demand release sometime in June. Now we know exactly when this release is going to happen – June 7th – and we’ve gotten our hands on a red band trailer, which can be seen in the embed above.

Starring Alex Essoe of Starry Eyes, Midnight Mass, and The Pope’s Exorcist and Bex Taylor-Klaus of Hell Fest, The Killing, and the Scream TV series, Trim Season was directed by award-winning producer and production designer Ariel Vida, who made her feature directorial debut with the 2022 mystery thriller Vide Noir.

The film has the following synopsis: Emma, jobless and searching for purpose, joins a group of twenty-somethings from Los Angeles and heads up the coast to make quick cash trimming...

Faceless After Dark: "Following her breakout success as the star of a killer clown horror flick, Bowie now finds herself struggling to capitalize on its success. But when she is suddenly held hostage by an unhinged fan posing as that same killer clown, horror becomes her reality as she fights to survive the night and escape before he completes his sinister plan to recreate the film’s fatal plot. Jenna Kanell from the Terrifier franchise gives a tour-de-force performance in this wild, gory ride."

Written by: Jenna Kanell and Todd Jacobs Directed by: Raymond Wood Produced by: Raymond Wood Cast: Jenna Kanell (Terrifier franchise, Renfield, Bad Boys: Ride or Die), Danny Kang (Insatiable, NCIS Hawai'i), Danielle Lyn (Mayfair Witches, Single Drunk Female), Max Calder (Stranger Things,Jungle Cruise), Michael Aaron Milligan (TV's Outer Banks, TV's The Purge), Kathrine Barnes (Average Joe, Queer as Folk), Jason MacDonald (The Vampire Diaries, NCIS...

A job at a marijuana farm turns nightmarish in director Ariel Vida’s Trim Season, and Blue Harbor Entertainment has released the trailer just in time for 4/20 this weekend.

Trim Season will open in theaters and on demand June 7, 2024.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker and production designer Ariel Vida, Trim Season stars Bethlehem Million as Emma, an adrift, jobless, 20-something seeking purpose. Along with a group of young people from Los Angeles, she drives up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California.

“Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that Mona (Jane Badler) – the seemingly amiable owner of the estate – is harboring secrets darker than any of them could imagine. It becomes a race against time for Emma and her friends to escape the dense woods with their lives.”

The cast also includes “Scream” and Hell Fest‘s Bex Taylor-Klaus,...

"You'll never understand. If she wants to, Mona can control the whole mountain." Paper Street Pics has revealed the trailer for Trim Season, a horror thriller film set at a marijuana farm in Northern California. This trailer is dropping in time for 4/20 this wekend, but the film won't actually release until June in the summer. "The Ultimate Nightmare Blunt Rotation." A group of young people go to a remote marijuana farm where they hope to make quick cash during "trim season" - trimming marijuana at the end of the growing season. But they discover the location's dark secrets and now must try to escape the mountain on which they are trapped. It becomes a race against time for Emma and her friends to escape the dense woods with their lives. From the same director as Vide Noir, Trim Season stars Bethlehem Million as Emma, Jane Badler, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Alex Essoe,...

The eleventh edition of Chattanooga Film Festival is unleashing another summer camp for cinephiles from June 21-28, 2024. While the fest already unveiled a massive first wave of programming for their 2024 event, the final wave of feature programming brings even more cinematic genre madness, including a rare look at Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III.

In addition to all the new premieres and upcoming horror titles to look forward to in this wave; look for special tributes that come with a rare workprint screening and more (pay attention Texas Chainsaw Massacre fans).

From the press release, “Joining the previously announced World Premiere Video Vision are three more features making their debut at the festival. A film marking the triumphant return of a filmmaker the festival’s fans know and love, and two more from filmmakers whose mind-altering visions are sure to end up on countless Best of 2024 lists.

First, there’s...

Blue Harbor Entertainment has picked up the U.S. distribution rights to the horror thriller Trim Season, Variety reports, and they’re planning to give the film – which stars Alex Essoe of Starry Eyes, Midnight Mass, and The Pope’s Exorcist and Bex Taylor-Klaus of Hell Fest, The Killing, and the Scream TV series – a theatrical and VOD release sometime in June.

Directed by award-winning producer and production designer Ariel Vida, who made her feature directorial debut with the 2022 mystery thriller Vide Noir, Trim Season has the following synopsis: Emma, jobless and searching for purpose, joins a group of twenty-somethings from Los Angeles and heads up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California. Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that the estate is harboring darker secrets than any of them could imagine, and it becomes a race...

A job at a marijuana farm turns nightmarish in director Ariel Vida’s Trim Season, and Variety reports today that the horror film has been acquired by Blue Harbor Entertainment for U.S. release.

While no date has been set just yet, look for Trim Season to debut in theaters and on VOD this June.

In Trim Season, ““Emma, jobless and searching for purpose, joins a group of twenty-somethings from Los Angeles and heads up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California. Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that the estate is harboring darker secrets than any of them could imagine, and it becomes a race against time for Emma and her friends to escape the dense woods with their lives.”

The cast includes “Scream” and Hell Fest‘s Bex Taylor-Klaus, Starry Eyes, “Midnight Mass” and Doctor Sleep‘s Alex Essoe,...

Blue Harbor Entertainment has acquired the horror/thriller film “Trim Season” for U.S. release, with plans to debut in theaters and on VOD in June.

The cast includes Bethlehem Million, Jane Badler, Alexandra Essoe, Bex-Taylor Klaus and Ally Ioannides.

The film’s description reads, “Emma, jobless and searching for purpose, joins a group of twenty-somethings from Los Angeles and heads up the coast to make quick cash trimming marijuana on a secluded farm in Northern California. Cut off from the rest of the world, they soon realize that the estate is harboring darker secrets than any of them could imagine, and it becomes a race against time for Emma and her friends to escape the dense woods with their lives.”

Vida has also directed the 2022 film “Vide Noir.” Additionally, she is an award-winning producer and production designer, with her work spanning short films, music videos and features. Her contributions...

Popcorn Frights Film Festival returns for its ninth edition of sun-soaked, blood-splattered cinematic scares this August in South Florida, and Festival Directors Igor Shteyrenberg & Marc Ferman have once again curated a killer lineup of must-see screenings and virtual streamings for horror fans to enjoy.

Featuring 25 films, the festival's first wave of programming includes world premiere in-theater screenings of Crus Ennis and Lee Roy Kunz's Deliver Us, Erynn Dalton's Big Easy Queens, and Brandon Christensen's The Puppetman, as well as virtual showcases of Alice Maio Mackay's T Blockers and Saint Drogo, and Popcorn Frights is also bringing immersive frights to life with their retro lineup that includes 3-D screenings of Friday the 13th Part III, Jaws 3-D, and Parasite!

As previously announced, this year's Popcorn Frights Film Festival will run August 10th–20th, with screenings taking place at Fort Lauderdale's historic Savor Cinema and “The Horror Collective...

Cannabis is known to have many medical benefits and can be helpful with conditions like cancer, chronic pain, and Ptsd. There is also evidence of marijuana being connected to spirituality and being used for ritualistic purposes throughout history. Trim Season is a fantastical and thought-provoking commentary on gender and the magical benefits of cannabis.

Trim Season was written by David Blair (The Triangle), Sean E. DeMott (American Satan), and Cullen Poythress, directed by Ariel Vida (Vide Noir), and produced by Paper Street Pictures. Vida was the production designer for Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s mind-bending films Something in the Dirt and The Endless, and if you’re familiar with the universe Benson and Moorhead have created, you will appreciate the imaginative and almost mythical Easter Eggs Vida incorporates into Trim Season.

Trim Season follows the twentysomething Emma (Bethlehem Million), who is struggling to pay her rent when she loses...

Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult’s vampire horror-comedy “Renfield” will get its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival on March 30.

Hoult stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to Dracula, who is being played by Cage. Chris McKay directed the film, and Ryan Ridley penned it. Additional cast members include Awkwafina, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones and Ben Schwartz.

Lee Cronin’s “Evil Dead Rise” will close out the festival on April 2. Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland star in the film about estranged sisters reuniting, only to have flesh-possessing demons force them into a battle to survive. Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campell produced the film.

Cage, McKay, John Goodman, Joe Dante, Jim Jarmusch and Logan Carter are among the in-person guests at Overlook.

Other films premiering at the festival include Philip Barantini’s “Accused,” Alexis Jacknow’s “Clock,” Nick Kozakis’ “Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism,” Ariel Vida’s “Trim Season...

Exclusive: Hollywood and London-based below the line agency Wpa is expanding its international and domestic teams with the hires of June Dowad and Daniel Starikov.

Veteran agent Dowad has joined the Wpa UK office as Partner. She joins from Sandra Marsh & Associates in Los Angeles. Starikov, most recently at Anonymous Content, has joined Wpa’s Los Angeles office as a feature agent focusing on the indie space.

Dowad brings with her clients including production designer Barry Robison (One Night In Miami) editor Adam Recht (Downton Abbey: A New Era), production designer/art director Neal Callow (No Time To Die), costume designer Keith Madden (The Forgiven), cinematographer Luka Bazeli (Trim Season), and costume designer Kate Carin (Raised by Wolves).

The industry vet joined Sandra Marsh & Associates in 2011 and in 2015 purchased the agency – along with two partners – and became a co-owner. She started her career as a documentary filmmaker, and has produced films for the BBC,...