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Stars: Lachlan Watson, Michele Hicks, Bill Sage, Brendan Meyer, Boyana Balta, Nick Sandow, Shunori Ramanathan | Written by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen | Directed by Jeffrey A. Brown

Not a companion piece to Unseen, The Unheard is a new Shudder Original that combine the talents of Jeffrey A. Brown, who previously directed The Beach House and writers Michael and Shawn Rasmussen whose credits include Crawl and The Ward. It’s the story of Chloe who caught meningitis and spent six months in a coma as a child. She awoke to find that she had lost her hearing.

More importantly, she had lost her mother as well. She disappeared without a trace during those months. She and her father moved to Maine and she’s tried to put it behind her and get on with her life.

Now a young woman she’s returned to Massachusetts and her family’s Wellfleet summer house...

Filmmaker Damien Chazelle is no stranger to the horror genre, but he’s primarily associated with his more dramatic efforts. He became one of the most exciting names of this generation, earning praise for 2014’s Whiplash and 2016’s La La Land, while garnering divisive reactions to 2022’s Babylon. He’s comfortable working with all-star casts, showcasing his skill at a young age. Chazelle became the youngest Oscar winner for the Best Director category at 32 years old for La La Land. He wrote three horror movies that showcased his versatility along with his more recent efforts.

‘The Last Exorcism Part II’ (2013) Ashley Bell as Nell | CBS Films

A sequel to 2010’s The Last Exorcism, the 2013 installment picks back up with Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell). She’s now living in New Orleans, but she can’t remember the horrifying events of the past. All of Nell’s family is dead, although that...

A few weeks ago, we learned that Lachlan Watson, who was recently seen playing Glen and Glenda on season 2 of the Chucky TV series, had teamed up with Jeffrey A. Brown, who made his feature directorial debut with a solid horror film called The Beach House (read our review Here), for a new horror movie called The Unheard. The Unheard will be available to watch through the Shudder streaming service in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand as of March 31st – and with that date creeping up on us, a trailer for the movie has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Scripted by Crawl writers Michael Rasmussen and Shawn Rasmussen, The Unheard follows 20-year-old Chloe Grayden, who after undergoing an experimental procedure to restore her damaged hearing, begins to suffer from auditory hallucinations seemingly related to the mysterious disappearance of her mother.

Blumhouse is a household name among horror fans. The studio, founded by the eponymous Jason Blum, is a frequent producing partner of James Wan and helped launch the directing career of Jordan Peele by producing "Get Out." The studio has a track record of both reviving dormant horror staples, whether it be "Halloween" or "The Invisible Man," and creating new ones, such as this year's "M3GAN."

The Blumhouse catalog is not entirely horror, though. In 2014, the studio produced "Whiplash" alongside "Paranormal Activity" and "The Purge" sequels. Some might argue that the former film, about an aspiring drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) enduring "Full Metal Jacket" style abuse from his instructor Terence Fletcher (Jk Simmons) is a flavor of psychological horror. Still, compared to Blumhouse's usual output, it's a grounded drama.

This makes director Damien Chazelle another wunderkind filmmaker who Blumhouse helped along. During an interview with /Film's own Ben Pearson,...

Exclusive: New Line’s feature adaptation of Stephen King’s 1975 bestseller Salem’s Lot is expanding its cast with The Assistant actress Makenzie Leigh, Primetime Emmy nominee Bill Camp and Spencer Treat Clark who’ll star opposite of previously announced Lewis Pullman.

In Salem’s Lot, author Ben Mears (Pullman) returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire. Leigh will play Susan Norton, Camp is Matthew Burke and Clark is Mike Ryerson.

In the book, Susan Norton is a resident of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine. Ben and her eventually fall in love, and she has a knowledge of the vampires in town. Matt Burke is a former high school English teacher who knows about the Marten’s House evil past and helps out Ben. Mike Ryerson is one of the...

Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog looks to keep things rolling this weekend as it faces incoming competition from 20th Century's The Call of the Wild and Stx's Brahms: The Boy II. Sonic will have no trouble holding on to the top spot following its strong start last weekend as it looks to top $110 million after just ten days in release.

Following a massive start last weekend, accompanied by solid critical reviews and audience response, Paramount's Sonic the Hedgehog is looking at a another weekend atop the box office. We're anticipating a dip around -48% or so for a $30 millilon three-day. Should that forecast hold look for the film to top $110 million by the end of the weekend, on its way to becoming the third highest grossing video game adaptation domestically after just ten days in release.

20th Century In the runner-up position we find the first of the weekend's...

David Crow Aug 3, 2017

La La Land and Whiplash's Damien Chazelle has written a thrilled called The Claim, which will now be directed by Ericson Core...

Damien Chazelle has had one of the most interesting (and fastest) career rises in recent Hollywood memory. Only a few years ago, he worked on screenplays for horror movies like The Last Exorcism Part II (he also had a hand in 10 Cloverfield Lane), but the 32-year-old filmmaker now has an Oscar for his directing of La La Land, which followed his previous critical hit, Whiplash.

See related Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 3 review: The Queen's Justice Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 2 review: Stormborn Game Of Thrones season 7 episode 1 review: Dragonstone

Chazelle's gone back to genre writing with The Claim, a new thriller which, at least until now, was looking for a director.

Deadline reports that producers Scott Clayton and Russell Levine have tapped Ericson Core...

“If you did bad things but don’t remember, are they still part of who you are?” That’s the central question troubling Jane (Abbie Cornish), a woman who, after years of repressed memories, begins to wonder what role she played in the massacre that resulted in the death of three of her family members.

Canadian director Ed Gass-Donnelly (“The Last Exorcism Part II“) opens “Lavender” with an ambitiously shot scene.

Continue reading Despite Its Ambitions, Psychological Thriller ‘Lavender’ With Abbie Cornish Fails To Deliver [Review] at The Playlist.

Memory loss leads to mind-bending moments in Ed Gass-Donnelly's Lavender, and to commemorate the film's theatrical, VOD, and Digital HD release from Samuel Goldwyn Films and Ambi Media Group, we've been provided with three iTunes download codes to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) free iTunes download code for Lavender.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Lavender Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on Monday, 6th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted. Please note that the iTunes download codes expire on March 31st.

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"Directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly (“The Last Exorcism Part II”) who co-wrote the film with...

Ed Gass-Donnelly left a huge impression on me a few years ago with the release of Small Town Murder Songs (review), a little Canadian thriller with Peter Stormare in a rare leading role.

The movie garnered Gass-Donnelly a lot of attention including being named one of Variety's "10 Directors to Watch" in 2011 which lead Gass-Donnelly to head to Hollywood to direct The Last Exorcism Part II. That movie turned out to be a disaster but Gass-Donnelly has persisted, taking it as a learning experience and continuing to make movies on his own terms.

His latest, a thriller called Lavender, stars Abbie Cornish as a photographer who, after a car acc [Continued ...]...

Lavender, the thriler by Ed Gass-Donnelly, starring Abbie Cornish, will be coming to homes via Dish on February 3rd then cinemas and VOD one month later on March 3rd. We have a collection of stills and the trailer to share with you today. Find out more about Lavender in the press release below. Samuel Goldwyn Films and Ambi Group will partner on the domestic release for the anticipated thriller, “Lavender.” Directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly (“The Last Exorcism Part II”) who co-wrote the film with Colin Frizzell (“Resident Evil: Apocalypse”), the film stars Abbie Cornish (“Limitless”), Diego Klattenhoff (TV’s “The Blacklist”), Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard”) and Dermot Mulroney (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”). In “Lavender,” when a photographer (Abbie Cornish) suffers...

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

Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.

-Gravitas Ventures has secured the worldwide rights to “Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” the debut film from writer-director Jeff Grace. The comedy follows a successful singer-songwriter who helps his friend’s struggling comedy career and broken love life by hiring him as his opening act on his solo tour. “Folk Hero & Funny Guy” premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and stars Alex Karpovsky, Wyatt Russell, Meredith Hagner, Melanie Lynskey, Hannah Simone, Heather Morris, Michael Ian Black and David Cross.

“It was impossible to resist the witty and memorable characters in Folk Hero & Funny Guy,” Nolan Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Gravitas Ventures, said in a statement. “It’s a laugh-out-loud bromance that we know will resonate with audiences near and far.

Samuel Goldwyn Films and Ambi Group have teamed up for the Us release of Lavender, directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly and co-written by Colin Frizzell. The film will have its initial premiere on Dish on February 3rd, but you check out the trailer for the film in today’s Highlights. Following right behind, we also have a trailer for Garden Party Massacre as well as preview pages from Dark Horse Comics’ Eerie Volume 23 hardcover for you to enjoy.

Watch the Latest Trailer for Lavender: Press Release: “Los Angeles (Jan. 26, 2017) – Samuel Goldwyn Films and Ambi Group will partner on the domestic release for the anticipated thriller, “Lavender.” Directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly (“The Last Exorcism Part II”) who co-wrote the film with Colin Frizzell (“Resident Evil: Apocalypse”), the film stars Abbie Cornish (“Limitless”), Diego Klattenhoff (TV’s “The Blacklist”), Justin Long (“Live Free or Die Hard”) and Dermot Mulroney (“My Best Friend...

Samuel Goldwyn Films and Ambi Group will team up on the domestic release of the Abbie Cornish thriller “Lavender,” the companies announced Thursday. The companies plan to release the film exclusively on Dish on February 3, 2017 one month before it hits theaters and VOD on March 3. Ed Gass-Donnelly (“The Last Exorcism Part II”) directed the movie, which he also co-wrote with Colin Frizzell (“Resident Evil: Apocalypse”). Also Read: Samuel Goldwyn Films Picks Up Idris Elba's '100 Streets' Cornish stars as a photographer who suffers severe memory loss after a traumatic accident, and strange clues in her photos suggest she may be.

Canadian director Ed Gass-Donnelly arrived on the scene in 2010 with the outstanding Small Town Murder Songs (review). It wasn't his first film but by that point, it was clear that he was ready for the next big step.

That seemed to come with The Last Exorcism Part II except that movie failed to deliver anything of interest so Gass-Donnelly packed it up and headed back North and in the last few years, has co-directed a short film and released another movie, one that looks to be more in line with the talent on display in Small Town Murder Songs.

Lavender stars Abbie Cornish as Jane, a woman who loses her memory after an accident. [Continued ...]...

Damien Chazelle (Courtesy: Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images for AFI)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

At this point, Damien Chazelle is poised to potentially make history by becoming the youngest best director winner in the history of the Academy Awards. While the Oscar nominations for the 2017 ceremony haven’t been announced yet — those will arrive on January 24 — all signs are pointing towards this filmmaker taking home the coveted golden statuette. Will it happen?

Chazelle — who also wrote the modern-day musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling — has already won the Critics’ Choice Award for best director and is nominated for top honors at both the Golden Globe Awards and the Satellite Awards, too. The film itself — considered the biggest threat in the best picture race at the Academy Awards this Oscar season plus many others — has already won a slew of accolades from film festivals and critics alike.

By the time...

"Tag, you're it." "Let's play."

I've got a teaser trailer here for you to check out for an upcoming horror film called Lavender starring Abbie Cornish (Sucker Punch, Limitless). 

Cornish plays a woman named Jane who loses her memory after a car accident. Her doctor recommends she return to her childhood home to help kickstart her memory, and it's there that she begins to have unpleasant childhood memories and she starts to see unexplained things.

It's a really short trailer and doesn't give us much, but I like what I see. Hopefully it turns out to be a decent horror flick. The movie was written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Ed Gass-Donnelly, who previously made This Beautiful City, Small Town Murder Song, and The Last Exorcism Part II.

Via: Quiet Earth...

"Tag, you're it." "Let's play." The first short teaser trailer has debuted for a horror film called Lavender, the latest from Canadian director Ed Gass-Donnelly (of Small Town Murder Song and The Last Exorcism Part II previously). The film stars Abbie Cornish as a woman who begins to see unexplained supernatural things around her home after losing her memory. Not the most original concept for a horror, but as always we hope there's something unique about these kind of indie films. The cast includes Diego Klattenhoff, Justin Long and Dermot Mulroney. If you're interested in any way, take a look - it's a very short teaser. Here's the first teaser trailer (+ poster) for Ed Gass-Donnelly's Lavender, on YouTube (via Quiet Earth): The past won't forget... After losing her memory, a woman (Abbie Cornish) begins to see unexplained things after her psychiatrist suggests she visit her childhood home. Lavender...

I fell hard for director Ed Gass-Donnelly after seeing his sophomore feature Small Town Murder Songs (review). Gass-Donnelly didn't quite manage to meet the high bar set for himself with the pedestrian and completely forgettable The Last Exorcism Part II but it looks like he's back on track with his latest.

Lavender stars Abbie Cornish as Jane, a woman who loses her memory after a car accident. Her doctor recommends she return to her childhood home in an effort to jog her memory but the trip brings back childhood memories she'd rather forget.

Admittedly it's not a new concept but Cornish is a great actress and Gass-Donnell [Continued ...]...

I have no doubt that one day gifted visual storyteller Ed Gass-Donnelly will make a brilliant work. With four features under his belt, including This Beautiful City, Small Town Murder Songs, The Last Exorcism Part II and now Lavender, he’s shown tremendous promise capturing haunting images that externalize the internal conflicts, horrors and phobias of their subjects. His latest is a meditative horror film that, despite masterful visual direction and captivating performances, falls back on familiar horror/thriller tropes, courtesy of the screenplay by Gass-Donnelly and Colin Frizzell. Students of the genre will be far ahead, although they may admire the muted, understated style even if you how the blocks will fit together.

Abbie Cornish stars as Jane, a young mother suffering from memory loss following a car accident. She’s haunted by the specter of her past. With an apt and horrifying sequence, young Jane clenches a knife...

For the Trees: Zada’s Moody Locale Squandered by Feeble Narrative

We’ve come to expect studios to unbosom their less desirable horror trinkets during the dawning of every new year, and the annual tradition is alive and well with the equivocally titled The Forest from first time director Jason Zada. On a positive note, it’s a return to more traditional formatting, a move away from the found footage items we usually find released in this quarter (The Devil Inside; Devil’s Due), and it’s also not a remake or a dubious sequel (The Last Exorcism Part II). But Zada’s film is the second English language film revealed over the past year to waste its singularly spooky locale, Japan’s Aokigahara Forest at the base of Mt. Fuji (the first being Gus Van Sant’s Cannes blooper, Sea of Trees, which may explain this horror film’s...

Today, the supernatural horror film We Are Still Here comes out on Blu-ray and DVD, and we've been provided with one home media prize pack to give away, including a poster signed by the movie's cast and writer/director.

Prize Details: (1) Winner will receive:

(1) We Are Still Here poster signed by the film's core cast (including Barbara Crampton and Larry Fessenden) and writer / director Ted Geoghegan (1) Blu-ray copy of We Are Still Here (1) DVD copy of We Are Still Here (1) We Are Still Here baseball tee

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “We Are Still Here Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on October 12th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only...

One of my favorite indie horror releases of the 2015, We Are Still Here is making its way to Blu-ray and DVD just in time for Halloween:

Press Release: A tragic death leaves a married couple devastated, but their misery soon turns into mortal fear in the thoroughly haunting new film We Are Still Here. The Dark Sky Films/Mpi theatrical release, from the producers of The House of the Devil and Cheap Thrills, comes to Blu-ray and DVD on October 6, 2015. We Are Still Here is an atmospheric, classically constructed haunted house story, but with modern, heightened tension and action. After their teenage son Bobby is killed in a car crash, Paul and Anne Sacchetti move to an isolated 19th-century house in the New England countryside to try to start a new life. But soon the grieving couple begin to sense they are not alone in the old house. The Sacchettis'...

The Midnight Swim features an almost entirely female cast and will arrive in theaters and VOD in the U.S. later this month. Also in this round-up: casting details for Lavender and an excerpt from the horror fantasy novel Into the Darkness.

The Midnight Swim: "Candy Factory Films is immensely proud to present The Midnight Swim, the haunting new dark drama from director Sarah Adina Smith in U.S. theaters and VOD nationwide on June 26th!

Spirit Lake is unusually deep. No diver has ever managed to find the bottom, though many have tried. When Dr. Amelia Brooks disappears during a deep-water dive, her three daughters travel home to settle her affairs. They find themselves unable to let go of their mother and become drawn into the mysteries of the lake."

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Lavender: The psychological thriller Lavender is set to finish filming on June 29th:

Press Release -- "Lavender,...

Memory loss can be a tricky thing to deal with in thrillers on screen – you have to get the tone right or it all just becomes silly. Abbie Cornish and Dermot Mulroney think that the script for Lavender has what it takes, signing on to co-star in the psychologically flavoured film.Ed Gass-Donnelly, who most recently brought us The Last Exorcism Part II, is behind this one, which he co-wrote with Colin Frizzell. The film finds Cornish as a photographer who must grapple with severe memory issues. Clues start to pop up in her work that suggests she might just be responsible for the death of family members she never knew existed. We smell the scent of conspiracy, which probably doesn’t have much of a whiff of lavender about it. More... grapefruit, with a hint of fear.All being well, and with the rights on sale at Cannes, Gass-Donnelly...

Abbie Cornish (“Limitless”) and Dermot Mulroney (‘August: Osage County”) will star alongside Diego Klattenhoff (“The Blacklist”) in the psychological thriller “Lavender,” which Ed Gass-Donnelly will direct from a script he co-wrote with Colin Frizzell, it was announced Monday. After an accident leaves a photographer (Cornish) struggling with severe memory loss, strange clues amongst her photos begin to suggest that she may be responsible for the deaths of family members she never knew she had. Gass-Donnelly (“The Last Exorcism Part II”) is also producing the film with Dave Valleau (“Capote”) through Valleau’s South Creek Pictures banner. Also Read: 'Insidious 3' Trailer Teases Origins.

Ed Gass-Donnelly directs psychological thriller; Ambi to commence sales in Cannes

Abbie Cornish (Robocop) and Dermot Mulroney (August: Osage County) have signed on to star in psychological thriller Lavender, directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly (The Last Exorcism Part II). Principal photography is slated to begin later this month in Toronto.

Cornish will play a photographer struggling with severe memory loss following an accident. Strange clues amongst her photos begin to suggest that she may be responsible for the deaths of family members she never knew she had.

Gass-Donnelly is producing the film with Dave Valleau (Capote) through Valleau’s South Creek Pictures banner.

Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi’s Ambi Group is co-financing with Silvio Muraglia’s Paradox Studios with additional financing provided by The Movie Network, a division of Bell Media, and Movie Central, the Harold Greenberg Fund and Telefilm Canada.

Iervolino, Lady Bacardi and Muraglia are executive producers along with Jennifer Levine, Emily Alden and [link...

By Anjelica Oswald

Managing Editor

Ever since Whiplash, a film about an aspiring jazz drummer and his vicious instructor, made its debut as the opening film at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, writer-director Damien Chazelle has been surrounded by Oscar chatter for his second feature.

Indiewire’s James Rocchi said the film was “full of bravado and swagger, uncompromising where it needs to be, informed by great performances.” And The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg said the film has been surrounded in “intense and passionate discussion and debate…and that can only be a good thing for a little movie like this one.”

It won both the grand jury and audience awards for dramatic film at Sundance and has since received Independent Spirit Award, Satellite, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe nominations. Though Whiplash has established Chazelle as a “notable talent,” his film had an unlikely journey to the big screen.

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle (Grand Piano, The Last Exorcism Part II), Whiplash is scheduled for theatrical release through Sony Pictures Classics on October 10th, 2014. Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man's life. Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues...

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle (Grand Piano, The Last Exorcism Part II), Whiplash is scheduled for theatrical release through Sony Pictures Classics on October 10th, 2014. Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man's life. Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues...

The first word on a new sci-fi thriller has landed in our inbox, and here are all the early details on Pivot, written and directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly. Considering no cast members have been announced yet, expect more soon!

From the Press Release:

Lotus Entertainment announces that Ed Gass-Donnelly (Small Town Murder Songs, The Last Exorcism Part II) will write and direct Pivot. Lotus’ Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson will produce the film with D.J. Gugenheim and Ara Keshishian of Lotus executive producing alongside Ed Gass-Donnelly.

When a scientist’s loving wife is killed, he invents a device to pivot between parallel universes to save her life, but to be with her, he’ll have to kill the parallel version of himself.

“A high-quality concept like Pivot is exactly the type of project we were looking for,” said Lotus Entertainment’s Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel. “Ed has the perfect...

Bathing Flo

Actress Ellen Burstyn has signed on to make her feature directorial debut on the character drama "Bathing Flo" inspired by the life of Thruline manager-producer Danny Sherman.

The New York-set story centers on a man in need of a place to live, who’s given the chance to house-sit in exchange for free rent. He discovers the house is occupied by the man’s elderly mother Flo, who is part of the deal. [Source: Deadline]

Exodus 47

Chris Columbus is set to produce and possibly direct the Holocaust refugee story "Exodus 47" for Crystal City Entertainment, 1492 Pictures and Ocean Blue Entertainment. Mark Friedman penned the script, based on the autobiography of a Baptist minister who was on a worn-down steamer on its mission to deliver Holocaust survivors to freedom in 1947.

The ship picked up 4,500 refugees from the French port of Sete but was turned back near Palestine. The plight of the refugees,...

“Small Town Murder Songs” filmmaker Ed Gass-Donnelly is set to write and direct the sci-fi thriller “Pivot” for Lotus Entertainment, the company announced Monday. When a scientist's wife is killed, he invents a device to “pivot” between parallel universes to save her life, but to be with her, he'll have to kill the parallel version of himself. Also read: ‘The Last Exorcism Part II’ Trailer: Less Camera Shaking, More Evil (Video) Lotus’ Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson will produce the film, while the company's D.J. Gugenheim and Ara Keshishian will executive produce alongside Gass-Donnelly. Gugenheim will oversee the project for Lotus,...

Ed Gass-Donnelly will write and direct the sci-fi thriller Pivot. Lotus Entertainment will handle international sales.

Pivot centres on a scientist, who invents a device to access parallel universe after his wife is killed.

Lotus’ Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson will produce with DJ Gugenheim and Ara Keshishian of Lotus on board as executive producers alongside Gass-Donnelly, who directed The Last Exorcism Part II (pictured).

ICM Partners and Jennifer Levine at Untitled represent Donnelly and brokered the deal.

Gugenheim will oversee the project for Lotus Entertainment, whose slate include the imminent Toronto world premiere Maggie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin.

Arriving across the Us tomorrow is the highly anticipated action noir follow-up 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'. It's been 9 years since we last dipped into the live-action pages of Frank Miller's cult graphic novel and now Miller has reteamed once more with Robert Rodriguez to co-direct this sexy, slick, and violent sequel. Three new clips from the movie have been released each focusing on different characters from the comic book action thriller. The finely figured Eva Green ('Dark Shadows'), the haggered mush of Josh Brolin, the beaten up Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the intimidating Powers Boothe and the colourful Julia Garner ('The Last Exorcism Part II') are all spread out across the trio of clips which you can view below. Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson ('Trance'), Jaime King and Jessica Alba amongst many other also star....

Ok, so earlier this week the middle aged women demographic got their fill with two new 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' character posters featuring old geezers Powers Boothe and Ray Liotta ('Goodfellas'). Now its the turn of adolescent teens, self-effacing nerds and dirty old men. Our fresh double hit of poster prominence features the pant-hurtingly smoking Jamie Chung ('Sorority Row') as Miho and Julia Garner ('The Last Exorcism Part II') as Marcie. Chung and Garner star alongside returning players Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson ('Trance'), Jaime King and househusband favourite Jessica Alba. Head below for the new posters you naughty bugger!...

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle (Grand Piano, The Last Exorcism Part II), Whiplash is scheduled for theatrical release through Sony Pictures Classics on October 10th, 2014. Andrew Neyman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Plagued by the failed writing career of his father, Andrew hungers day and night to become one of the greats. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man's life. Andrew's passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues...

Have you been enjoying the first episodes of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful so far? We’re already halfway through the first season, so fans should be happy learn that the series has been officially renewed for a second season and it has been given an expanded order of ten episodes:

“New York, NY – (June 4, 2014) – Showtime has picked up a second season of its critically acclaimed drama series Penny Dreadful, it was announced today by David Nevins, President, Showtime Networks Inc. The network has given an expanded order of ten episodes to the series. Created, written and executive produced by three-time Oscar® nominee John Logan, Penny Dreadful has been embraced by the network’s subscribers, drawing 4.8 million weekly viewers across platforms since its launch. The series, which debuted to rave reviews, has claimed the spot as the network’s No. 1 watched new show ever on Showtime On Demand® and Showtime Anytime...

If you're as big a fan of Showtime's "Penny Dreadful" as we are, this news should make your day: The network has picked up a second season of the critically acclaimed series. Read on for more details!

From the Press Release:

As announced today by David Nevins, President, Showtime Networks Inc., the network has given an expanded order of ten episodes to the series, which was created, written, and executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan.

"Penny Dreadful" has been embraced by the network’s subscribers, drawing 4.8 million weekly viewers across platforms since its launch. The series, which debuted to rave reviews, has claimed the spot as the network’s No. 1 watched new show ever on Showtime On Demand and Showtime Anytime with over 3.6 million viewers on those platforms through the third week of the season. Starring Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, and Eva Green, "Penny Dreadful" will once again shoot on location in Dublin,...

Any new ghost movie set in the 1970s automatically has my attention, especially when the people involved have good track records. Setting a movie in that time period removes the clutter and distraction of modern technology, which means the filmmakers must rely more fully on the strength of the story and characters to create a frightening atmosphere. Such is the case in favor of We Are Still Here, which stars Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) and Andrew Sensenig (The Last Exorcism Part II), as well as Lisa Marie and Larry Fessenden. Here's the official synopsis, which sounds like it will give a familiar premise a good, hard shove. : After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, Paul (Sensenig) and Anne (Crampton) move to the...

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

We are super stoked about this next project from Dark Sky Films. Why, you ask? Because the label has a true eye for talent, and if anyone is gonna be able to pull off a kick-ass ghost story, it's them! Read on for your first word regarding We Are Still Here.

From the Press Release

Filming is officially under way in Western New York on We Are Still Here, a 70's-set ghost story produced by preeminent independent genre specialists Mpi/Dark Sky Films and Snowfort Pictures. The announcement was made today by Mpi/Dark Sky's Evp Greg Newman and Snowfort's founder and producer Travis Stevens.

The cast of We Are Still Here includes genre icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, You're Next), Andrew Sensenig (The Last Exorcism Part II), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes), and actor-filmmaker Larry Fessenden (Wendigo, Stake Land). The film marks the directorial debut of Ted Geoghegan,...

Filming is officially underway in icy western New York on We are Still Here. The haunted house thriller stars Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator), Andrew Sensenig (The Last Exorcism Part II), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow) and  Larry Fessenden (Wendigo, Stake Land). This marks the directorial debut from Ted Geoghegan, who previously wrote Don't Wake the Dead and produced The ABCs of Death 2.

Official synopsis: After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, Paul (Sensenig) and Anne (Crampton) move to the quiet New England countryside to try to start a new life for themselves. But the grieving couple becomes the prey of a family of vengeful spirits that reside in their new home, and before long they discover that the seemingly peaceful town they've moved into is hiding a dark, terrifying dark secret. They must overcome their sorrow and fight back against both the living and the dead as the malicious...

Writer Ted Geoghegan (Don't Wake the Dead) will make his directorial debut with We Are Still Here. This haunted house thriller has just started shooting in New York. Cast members have already been attached to the film including: Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator), Andrew Sensenig (The Last Exorcism Part II), Lisa Marie and Larry Fessenden. Production is being handled by Dark Sky Films and Snowfort Pictures. In the film's story, a car accident ends with the death of a child. Parents Paul and Anne move into a New England countryside to reconcile their lives. But, another tragedy awaits them in their new home. Vengeful spirits emerge at night and this couple must discover the secrets, which reside in the bowels of their isolated town and residence. Horror fans can view an early photo from production. The still shows the film's primary shooting location. More details on the film will be announced as...

Dark Sky Films and Snowfort Pictures have announced that production is underway on We Are Still Here, a 70′s ghost story and the directorial debut of Ted Geoghegan:

“Filming is officially underway in Western New York on We Are Still Here, a 70′s-set ghost story produced by preeminent independent genre specialists Mpi/Dark Sky Films and Snowfort Pictures. The announcement was made today by Mpi/Dark Sky’s Evp Greg Newman and Snowfort’s founder and producer Travis Stevens.

The cast of We Are Still Here includes genre icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, You’re Next), Andrew Sensenig (The Last Exorcism Part II), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes) and actor-filmmaker Larry Fessenden (Wendigo, Stake Land). The film marks the directorial debut of Ted Geoghegan, the screenwriter of Don’t Wake the Dead and one of the producers of the anthology film ABCs of Death 2. The director of photography is Karim Hussain (Antiviral,...

Filming is officially underway in Western New York on We Are Still Here, a 70′s-set ghost story produced by preeminent independent genre specialists Mpi/Dark Sky Films and Snowfort Pictures. The announcement was made today by Mpi/Dark Sky’s Evp Greg Newman and Snowfort’s founder and producer Travis Stevens.

The cast of We Are Still Here includes genre icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator, You’re Next), Andrew Sensenig (The Last Exorcism Part II), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow, Planet … Continue reading →

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Another year has come to an end, which means it's time for the Dread Central staff to weigh in with their picks of the best and worst of 2013's horror offerings. We're giving you a full dozen lists this time, and per usual they come in a variety of formats, each reflecting the unique styles of our writers.

We've also compiled them to come up with the year's overall winners and losers. We averaged out the top and bottom five vote getters on everyone's lists, and here are the results:

Best: Maniac

Runners-up: The Conjuring, Evil Dead

Worst: Texas Chainsaw 3D

Runners-up: The Purge, The Last Exorcism Part II

Check out the Dread Central staff's Best of and Worst of lists for 2013 by following the links below!

[Andrew Kasch]

[Anthony Arrigo]

[Brad McHargue]

[Buz "Danger" Wallick]

[Debi "The Woman in Black" Moore]

[The Foywonder]

[Gareth "Pestilence" Jones]

[Jinx]

[MattFini]

[Scott "Doctor Gash" Hallam]

[Staci Layne Wilson]

[Uncle Creepy]

Andrew Kasch's Picks

Stoker: Chan-wook Park delivered some next-level filmmaking and his best film since Oldboy with his U.

As Movies.com notes, "The Counselor," "The Family," "The Last Exorcism Part II," "Movie 43," "The Purge," "Runner Runner" and "Scary Movie 5" are the only movies this year that managed a lower grade than the C+ CinemaScore recently earned by "The Wolf Of Wall Street." It's hardly the kind of company you'd expect to find the latest film from Martin Scorsese included with, but then again, nothing about 'Wolf' meets ordinary expectations.  Despite largely positive reviews from critics, a backlash of sorts has started to greet the movie for its party atmosphere that does much to shine the light on the antics of Jordan Belfort and his fellow Wall Street sleazebags, and little on the actual victims of his frauds. The daughter of one of Belfort's real life colleagues even penned an open letter recently, shaming the filmmakers for turning Belfort's crimes into R-rated entertainment, for what she perceived...

The first trailer is here for the new horror film from John Schneider (yes, that John Schneider of "Dukes of Hazzard fame). Smothered has a cast filled with a handful of beloved horror icons, who are all apparently playing themselves in it. Check it out!

From the Press Release

When John R. Schneider wrote Smothered, he wrote a reverse of the classic horror film model. Instead of a bunch of college-aged girls getting slaughtered by men in masks, his film features men of the mask getting slaughtered by a beautiful young vixen.

And, in a turn that will leave horror fans titillated, the film features a list of horror icons playing “themselves” in this “horroromedy” (horror/comedy) film with more humanity than you’d expect from a film where almost everyone dies.

The film, which stars Kane Hodder (Jason X, Hatchet), Ra Milhailoff (Leatherface, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3), Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects,...

After premiering at Fantastic Fest this year (check out a review from Jeremy Kirk), the thriller Grand Piano is coming to theaters next spring (and VOD earlier in the year). Elijah Wood plays a concert pianist attempting a comeback after a career-crippling performance in his past. The pressure is already on, but then things get even more stressful as he finds a note scrawled in his sheet music saying he will be killed if he plays one wrong note. It's basically Phone Booth at a piano but with John Cusack on the other end of the threats this time. Our review says calls it a "stylish, quirky thriller that never hits too heavily." Watch now! Here's the first trailer for Eugenio Mira's Grand Piano, originally from Apple: Grand Piano is directed by Eugenio Mira (Agnosia) and written by Damien Chazelle (The Last Exorcism Part II). Tom Selznick, the most talented pianist of his generation,...

The holiday shopping season is officially upon us, and that means it's time to take a look back at the last year of Blu-ray releases to help you decide which packages will have the horror fans on your list grinning from ear-to-ear!

With the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, the PlayStation 3, and really cheap standalone players all Blu-ray ready, there's never been a better time to make that jump into high definition. If you've been holding out, throw caution to the wind, kids! Blu is where it's at! If you already own the DVD of your favorite flick, is there a need to replace it with a Blu-ray? I'm here to answer all of your questions in the annual...

Before we get into my picks, let's take a second to explain how I rated them. They're broken down into three categories:

Can't Miss -- Must Haves: These are the cream of the crop!