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The original Dead Rising was one of the first games on the Xbox 360 I remember getting really hyped about. The young console needed something that truly took advantage of its power, and the zombie-survival title seemed like the perfect test subject. From a technical standpoint, I was correct on that hunch. Problem was, due to the strict time limit imposed by the game, I didn’t really enjoy playing it. I know that that challenge has drawn its fair share of praise, but it just wasn’t for me. As such, I avoided the later entries in the series, even knowing mechanics were being reconfigured. 11 years later, though, much like Frank West, I have returned to the series with Dead Rising 4: Frank’s Big Package.

After taking an extended hiatus from the series, original protagonist Frank West is once again stuck in the hell on Earth known as Willamette,...

For years, he's brought the dead to life in books like Patient Zero and Rot & Ruin, so it's rather fitting that prolific author Jonathan Maberry has now teamed up with the legendary George A. Romero to co-edit an anthology set within the early stages of the zombie uprising in Night of the Living Dead. Titled Nights of the Living Dead, the new anthology is now available from St. Martin's Press (check out our giveaway here), and to celebrate, we caught up with Maberry for our latest Q&A feature to discuss his work on the living dead dream project, and we also have a claustrophobic excerpt from his short story "Lone Gunman."

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Jonathan. How did the opportunity come about to collaborate on a Night of the Living Dead anthology with the legend himself, George A. Romero?

Jonathan Maberry:...

“Night of the Living Dead” is something like the urtext of modern zombie movies, but that doesn’t mean George A. Romero sees much of a future for the franchise his 1968 classic launched. Asked about the undead genre by the Hollywood Reporter, Romero said he’s “sort of dropped out of it. The Dead are everywhere these days. I think really Brad Pitt killed it.”

Read More: George Romero Says Nobody Will Finance His Next Zombie Movie and ‘Night of the Living Dead’ Wouldn’t Get Made Today

The interview was occasioned by a recent 4K restoration of “Night of the Living Dead” that will screen in New York this week. “‘The Walking Dead’ and Brad Pitt just sort of killed it all,” he continued. “The remake of ‘Dawn of the Dead’ made money. I think pretty big money. Then ‘Zombieland’ made money, and then all of a sudden, along...

Two hot TV projects, an environmental zombie and an unhinged park ranger were among highlights at the eighth edition of the horror market.

Frontières International Co-Production Market continued to showcase its growth at Fantasia International Film Festival as it kicked off its eighth edition on Thursday [July 21].

Earlier this year, the genre market announced a new partnership with the Marché du Film at Cannes, and the popularity of its pitching session at Fantasia meant that it moved to the festival’s bigger venue to accommodate the growing industry interest.

This edition’s 20 projects also saw the market’s remit expand to include two television projects for the first time.

House Of Psychotic Women from Rook Films, behind the likes of Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers and Peter Strickland’s The Duke Of Burgundy, is based on horror critic Kier-La Janisse’s acclaimed memoir.

Centred on 15-year-old Carly as she navigates Winnipeg’s child welfare system, each episode...

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We chat to Skulduggery Pleasant author about the movie adaptation, new trilogy Demon Road, horror influences, Feminism and Doctor Who…

Derek Landy is excited. Next week, he's going to see two of his favourite 80s films on the big screen for the first time. His publisher Harper Collins is hosting screenings of Joe Dante's Gremlins and Wes Craven's A Nightmare On Elm Street at London's Picturehouse Central (win tickets to both, here) for Landy's legion fans as part of the publicity circuit for book two of his Demon Road trilogy, Desolation.

Landy made his name in Young Adult fantasy with the nine-book Skulduggery Pleasant series about a skeleton detective and his teenage girl accomplice. The huge success of the first Skulduggery novel was a tornado that lifted him Dorothy-like straight out of his family's farm in Ireland and plonked him down in Hollywood where he...

Think of a teeming metropolis like New York City. Now double that in size. If every single person who lived there, every hot-dog vendor, third-grader and euphoric Mets fan, was in fact a flesh-eating zombie, that would roughly equal the 17.3 million people that tuned into last October's fifth-season premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead, the most-watched episode of anything in cable history. Those are blockbuster numbers and they occurred week after week. The demand for the show has become so huge that a prequel spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead, debuts this Sunday.

Let's get one thing straight: George A. Romero isn't particularly thrilled with the zombie renaissance in general. "I don't get it," he responded when asked during a Q&A at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival. "I honestly don't. First of all, I'm a little pissed off because I used to be the only guy and now everybody's in my playground." Often called the "godfather (sometimes grandfather) of the zombies," the director ushered in not only the modern zombie film but the modern horror film with his 1968 classic "Night of the Living Dead," which he followed up with five sequels (and counting?). So what does he think of all the movies (and TV show[s]) he influenced with his low-budget B&W masterpiece? With Romero's recent lambasting of AMC's "The Walking Dead" and the Brad Pitt vehicle "World War Z" making making the rounds, we thought it was time to collect his opinions...

Ex to Grind: Dante’s ZomCom Never Finds Its Pulse

Zombies are difficult subject matters for the screen. A staple of a popular subgenre, original narrative inspiration is rare in a field of low yield thrills from contemporary films unable to match the iconic masters, like early George Romero. Of course, every now and then, something innovative and exciting comes along, such as Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002), and it’s surprisingly energetic sequel. But increasingly, like all glorious horror tropes, comedy has taken the place of tension. Sometimes, in the right hands, this can also be inviting. So it’s disappointing to see a director like Joe Dante, the man who balanced these elements deftly in classics likes Piranha (1981), Gremlins (1984), and The ‘Burbs (1989) turn up with his latest, Burying the Ex. With its overtly fresh faced young cast and first time script from Alan Trezza (adapted from his own...

Everyone binge watches “The Walking Dead,” even “Game of Thrones” author George Rr Martin. After recently power through a marathon of 14 episodes — during which Netflix no doubt passive-aggressively asked if he was still watching half a dozen times — Martin spoke with Entertainment Weekly about why America is in such shambles post-zombie outbreak. “Castles! Whatever is happening in the United States during “The Walking Dead,” I’m sure they’re a lot better off in England because they’re in castles. […] No way is a zombie [getting through]— medieval siege armies couldn’t break castles with conventional artillery, and zombies don’t use artillery. Zombies don’t build trebuchets. They don’t build siege towers. There is no way they can break into a well-defended castle.” Gif Credit: AMC This jives with the theory laid out by Max Brooks in “World War Z.” In the novel, the British Isles survive the undead outbreak mostly unscathed.

Featuring: George A. Romero, Charlie Adlard, Joanna Angel, Robert Kirkman, Simon Pegg, Max Brooks, Bruce Campbell, Fran Kranz, Greg Nicotero, Jacqui Holland, Tom Savini, Traycee King | Written by Chad Herschberger & Alexandre O. Philippe | Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe

I like zombies just as much as the next person. Well, okay, maybe a little more, but probably not by much. While my friends and I, as teenagers, discovered the walking dead from satirical horror movies sought out in movie rental shops, most new initiates to the delights of the undead can simply leave their TV on for ten minutes and chances are there’ll be a zombie on it at some point.

Zombies have taken over the world. While the irony of their mass appeal is most certainly lost on them, it isn’t lost on Alexandre Philippe and Chad Herschberger, who decided the best way to deal with the oversaturation...

With Halloween fast approaching, EW is picking the five best films in a variety of different horror movie categories. For the past week and a half, we've been posting our top picks from several specific groups—demons, ghosts, slasher movies, and so on—and giving you the chance to vote on which film from each category is your favorite. On Oct. 31, EW will reveal your top choices. We already covered vampires earlier today—but now it's time to tackle their furry, sharp-toothed nemeses. We've never really had a Werewolf Moment. Vampires have been popular figures onscreen since the silent film era.

In recent years, director Joe Dante has really managed to produce films of the same quality as his greats like Gremlins, The 'Burbs, The Howling and more. He's been busy with episodes of TV shows like the new "Hawaii Five-0" and "Witches of East End" lately, not to mention directing Burying the Ex for this year, but now he's poised to get back into genre films again. THR has word that Dante is bringing a project called Ombra Amore to the New Cinema Network co-production market at The Rome Film Festival as part of a special section called "Great Beauties" that promote Italy as a production partner. So what's the film about? Well, it takes a cue from William Shakespeare's classic romantic tragedy Romeo & Juliet, but brings werewolves and vampires into the equation. No, this isn't a Pride & Prejudice & Zombies situation, but rather just a romance between Pete, a...

Presented by Diamond Comic Distributors on October 25th at participating comic book stores is the 3rd Annual Halloween ComicFest (Hcf), featuring costume contests and giveaways of horror-themed comics. Shops will be giving out 19 free titles this year, and readers can seek out tales of the living dead in Afterlife with Archie #1, Resident Evil: The Marhawa Desire, and Max Brooks’ Extinction Parade #1.

Press Release - “Diamond Comic Distributors announces a celebration of comics, comic shops, and pop-culture in October with the third annual Halloween ComicFest (Hcf) event! Communities are encouraged to check out their local comic shop and get free comics while also participating in shop’s special Halloween events such as costume contests, sales, character appearances and more on Saturday, October 25th, 2014!

During Halloween ComicFest, adults and kids can go into a local participating comic shop and get free Halloween and horror themed comics and mini-comics published specifically for Halloween ComicFest.

Featuring: Charlie Adlard, Joanna Angel, Steven Barton, Bruce Campbell, Simon Pegg, George A. Romero, Robert Kirkman, Sid Haig, Tom Savini, Max Brooks | Written by Alexandre O. Philippe, Chad Herschberger | Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe

Alexandre O. Philippe (The People vs. George Lucas) brings us another documentary, but this time turning his focus on the rotting stinking zombie and its place in the world of motion pictures with, Doc of the Dead.

Everyone knows what a zombie is, you can’t turn on a television without seeing a flesh munching ghoul these days. The whole genre has gone mainstream, with the likes of The Walking Dead taking television by storm, World War Z enticing audiences in cinemas, Dead Island, Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising making millions for the video game industry, and novels galore featuring the brain craving buggers that we know and love. It’s a big money deal now,...

When Cabin Fever came out in 2002, it was a sensation among fans of freaky frights. The film packed more than a little punch with its own version of the karate kid, a leg shaving scene that set disposable razor sales back for a year, and a German Shepherd who made Cujo look like a lapdog.

Eli Roth’s Cabin Fever left a legacy hard to live up to, but of course a dumbed-down sequel was released. It was directed by Roth’s Bff Ti West, but one would never guess that after the studio heads got hold of it in the editing room and butchered it.

Regardless, the Cabin Fever name still carries weight so there is a prequel that's out now on demand and will be in theaters on August 1, 2014.

This time the story centers about the initial outbreak of the creeping virus. On a remote island, Patient Zero...

We're back with the horror highlights of Day 2 of this year's Sdcc, and you better rest up! On tap are "The Walking Dead," "Bates Motel," "Sleepy Hollow," Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, Scream Factory, and More!

What you'll find below is just the tip of the iceberg (and it does include a few "fringe" panels that we thought might be interest). Be sure to visit the official San Diego Comic-Con 2014 website for the full lineup.

Day 2: Friday, July 25, 2014

10:00 Am - Publishers Weekly: Behind the Digital Line

As digital comics have become a driving force of the medium, more publishers and creators have launched digital first lines of comics. How do publishers and creators deal with the unique properties of the web and tablet? How do readers react? Are they an evolution from webcomics or their own medium? And how will technological evolution affect storytelling as more choices arise? Pw's...

We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes casting announcements on multiple films, including Recovery, The App, and Dark, details on The Wobbling Dead, Repentance, and the 2014 TromaDance Film Festival, a review of Russian Yeti: The Killer Lives, a Q&A with Lindsey McKeon from Supernatural, and more:

Casting News for Recovery: “Kirby Bliss Blanton (The Green Inferno, Project X) and Samuel Larsen (“Glee”) have been cast in the upcoming thriller “Recovery”, starting production this summer. The film follows Blanton’s character on the night of her high school graduation after her iPhone is stolen and tracked down with a “find my iPhone” app to a house where the demented tenants plan on kidnapping her and making her part of the family. Alex Shaffer (Win Win) and James Landry Hébert (Two Step, Gangster Squad) are also on board to star.

While the lot of you are still reading and enjoying FM 273 (you Are, aren’t you?), it’s time to preview our yearly Kaiju Issue—which of course means we have welcomed Consulting Editor (and Big Wow! Special Guest) August Ragone on board to help us deliver a tribute of massive proportions…

Sixty Years Of Godzilla!

The image above, featuring Mothra, is only one of four special cover paintings by the extremely awesome Bob Eggleton (previously responsible for our Godzilla vs. Gamera, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Colossal Kaiju covers).

FM 274 will feature our exclusive Godzilla Timeline, featuring writeups and information on all 29 existing Godzilla films—plus a little interview with director Gareth Edwards about the new Warner Bros. film debuting in May.

Never fear, though, as there’s still plenty of material for people who haven’t learned to love Godzilla yet, including:

Enter The Dragon: Film legend and...

Over the last decade or so, zombies have gone from a staple of horror entertainment to a major aspect of popular culture, and more and more modern college courses have been examining the undead phenomenon in a serious academic light. For example, this year saw the debut of a zombie apocalypse course at Central Michigan University, and a high school teacher has been using a Walking Dead video game as a teaching aid. San Diego State University professor Emily Hicks acknowledges this trend, and has risen to the occasion by creating a zombie-based course this semester with a pretty unambiguous title: “Zombies.” That's it, no gray area there. "We’re talking about blood and guts and all kinds of things that are sort of leveling, so I’ve found that some students are tired talking about multicultural issues in general in my other classes,” Hicks told Kbps News, “but not in the zombies class.

We have all seen enough movies and TV shows to know that the dead are pesky little buggers and we should always be as prepared as possible. That being said, San Diego State University has taken its first steps to ensure this!

According to Kpbs, this year San Diego State wanted to combat student apathy by offering a class with irresistible pop culture appeal.

"The name of the class is one word: Zombies," Sdsu professor Emily Hicks said.

This is the first time Hicks is teaching a class on the undead, and like George Romero before her, she understands that zombies are just a jumping off point. Romero saw them as a blank slate for social commentary; Hicks sees them as a teaching tool to bring topics back to life. For instance, students that had grown bored with issues of racism and classism, or who felt singled out as examples because they were economically challenged,...

A long, long time ago, when The Walking Dead was just a phrase and zombie movies only had a cult following, George A. Romero came along and created one of the most iconic horror movies in history – The Night Of The Living Dead. Many people consider this title to be where the zombie genre was created, marching forward in time towards becoming an unstoppable pop culture juggernaut, but that’s not Entirely true. Yes, The Night Of The Living Dead really put zombies on the map, but variations of Romero’s creatures existed for years beforehand – something you’ll learn by watching a documentary called Doc Of The Dead.

Filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe (The People Vs. George Lucas) has been watching zombies claw their way into every aspect of our daily lives, and he found it necessary to properly educate audiences on how zombies became the iconic figures that they now stand as.

Zombies are definitely having a cultural moment. In fact, their blood-smeared claws are all over every aspect of the post-apocalyptic pop culture terror-dome, from the phenomenally successful cable series "The Walking Dead" to Brad Pitt's against-all-odds box office smash "World War Z," to things like Max Brooks' best-selling "Zombie Survival Guide" (which begat the novel that "World War Z" was loosely based on). In short: the undead are everywhere. So it's unsurprising that a documentarian like Alexandre O. Philippe, who charted the backlash against the guardian of The Force in the "The People vs. George Lucas," would take aim at the slow, shambling corpses in "Doc of the Dead." Somewhat more surprising is the fact that it doesn’t feel like a complete rehash of a subject that's been endlessly covered, proving that there's still some life left in the reanimated corpse of the zombie documentary."Doc of...

Welcome to 2014 – where twerking exists, Pharrell looks like Smokey The Bear, and zombies have become a major staple in everyday societal culture. Yes, brain-munching, decaying, vile, mindless zombies have risen in popularity and weaseled their way into every facet of modern life. There are zombie walks where cosplayers sport their most grotesque and creative festering wounds, overtaking major city streets as a pack of undead supporters, zombie 5K races (which yours truly Almost survived) – hell, the most popular show on TV is a drama about zombies (depending who you ask). So what’s the big deal with zombies all of a sudden? That’s exactly the question that director Alexandre O. Philippe (The People Vs. George Lucas) attempts to answer with his newest horror themed documentary, Doc Of The Dead.

Bringing together a team of genre veterans to talk all things zombies, Alexandre leads us chronologically through zombie folklore, starting...

The definitive living dead documentary which You helped to make happen, Doc of the Dead (review), is premiering at the SXSW Film Festival, and we've got another exclusive clip for you along with details on when You will be able to see the film! Read on!

From the Press Release

Premium entertainment network Epix announces that Doc of the Dead will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 10 and on Epix on Saturday, March 15, at 8Pm Et.

The feature-length Epix Original Documentary, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, examines the rise and evolution of zombies in film, television, and literature and the impact on pop culture. Many of the genre’s most influential figures are featured in the film, including the “Godfather of the zombie genre” George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead), actors Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead), producer Greg Nicotero ("The Walking Dead...

The definitive living dead documentary which You helped to make happen is getting ready to make its premiere at the upcoming SXSW Film Festival, and we've got an exclusive clip for you along with details on when You will be able to see the film! Read on!

From the Press Release

Premium entertainment network Epix announced today that Doc of the Dead will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on March 10 and on Epix on Saturday, March 15, at 8Pm Et.

The feature-length Epix Original Documentary, directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, examines the rise and evolution of zombies in film, television, and literature and the impact on pop culture. Many of the genre’s most influential figures are featured in the film, including the “Godfather of the zombie genre” George A. Romero (Dawn of the Dead), actors Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead), producer Greg Nicotero...

Zombies have, over the last several years, been spun off into all sorts of big screen scenarios and situations. In director Joe Dante’s “Burying the Ex,” however, Max (Anton Yelchin) discovers that if there’s anything worse than a zombie, it might just be your ex-girlfriend as a zombie — in his case, the still-clingy Evelyn (Ashley Greene). For ShockYa, Brent Simon had a chance to visit the independent production’s Los Angeles set in December, as it was winding down principal photography, to observe a day’s shooting and chat with some of the cast and crew. His conversation with erstwhile “Twilight” costar Greene, about the peculiar delights and challenges of playing a scorned female [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive: Ashley Greene Talks Burying the Ex on Set Visit appeared first on Shockya.com.

In “Burying the Ex,” Evelyn (Ashley Greene) is not quite ready to let go of her ex-boyfriend Max (Anton Yelchin), and accept his new relationship. This is frustrating for Max. Oh, and matters are additionally complicated by the fact that she’s a newly minted zombie — which of course makes her a formidable romantic foil for Max’s new girlfriend Olivia (Alexandra Daddario). For ShockYa, Brent Simon recently had a chance to visit the Los Angeles set of director Joe Dante’s film, as it was winding down principal photography just before Christmas. There, Simon had a chance to observe shooting and chat with the cast and crew. His conversation with screenwriter [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive: Screenwriter Alan Trezza Talks Burying the Ex, Joe Dante, Zombies appeared first on Shockya.com.

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.

In addition to owning one of the most popular TV series, zombies have, in just the past calendar year, done big-screen battle with Cockneys (“Cockneys vs. Zombies”), served as the backdrop to a funky tale of adolescent self-doubt and blossoming young love (“Warm Bodies”), been given the John Hughes treatment (“Detention of the Dead”), and chased Brad Pitt to the biggest gross of his career (“World War Z”). So it’s only fitting that they also inspire a tale of obsessive love taken too far. That’s part of the core premise of director Joe Dante’s “Burying the Ex,” in which Evelyn (Ashley Greene) doesn’t let the fact that she’s a newly [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive: Alexandra Daddario Talks Burying the Ex appeared first on Shockya.com.

In our world of 24-hour news, there is no major event that the news networks and their cameras don't capture. However, they're still limited by reality. In the movies, news cameras are around for crazy things. Sinister things. Impossible things. Zombies. Werewolves. Monsters. Outrageously silly terrorist plots. These are the craziest moments ever captured on tape by news crews in the movies.   The Howling In Joe Dante's The Howling, TV reporter Karen escapes from a colony of werewolves, only to return home with a serious case of lycanthropy herself. Determined to expose the werewolf threat to the world, she launches into her seemingly far-fetched story on live television. To seal the deal, she closes her speech by transforming into a werewolf herself and is...

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In case you missed it, Max Brooks’ The Extinction Parade #4 was released this week. This is a series we’ll be reporting on more here at Daily Dead and we’ve been provided with a look at all of the covers available for the newest issue.For future issues, we’re working to get early cover art, preview pages, and interviews, so be on the lookout for more in the coming months.

Series Summary: “The best-selling Zombie writer in history finally unleashes an all-new zombies vs. vampires epic for comics! One of the founders of the zombie renaissance, Max Brooks has sold millions of books in dozens of languages. His first book The Zombie Survival Guide not only singlehandedly jump-started the zombie prep subculture, it’s graphic novel companion Recorded Attacks debuted as #1 on the New Times Bestseller list. His second book World War Z has been adapted by Brad Pitt...

We are truly obsessed with zombies. Zombie games, films, comics, zombie mugs, zombie killing tees, zombie condoms… okay I’m pushing the last one, but you can’t deny it’s not probable. So why do we love them so much: is it the thrill of the apocalyptic unknown? The frenzied scramble for survival? Or do we just want to blast our bosses’ brains out with a sawn-off shotgun?

The Walking Dead: Season Two launches this month: the new apocalyptic adventure game picking up where award-winning original Walking Dead left off. Confirmed for release on December 17th by Telltale Games, it brings with it more of that zombie survival practice in preparation for that inevitable invasion of corpses, when what we really should be doing is practicing our cardio.

The general consensus amongst us humans is that the hardest part of a zombie apocalypse would be pretending not to be excited.

Rick Grimes is having yet another very bad day. Not a wake-up-from-a-coma-to-find-the-world's-been-overrun-by-zombies bad day or even a my-son-just-shot-my-wife-­after-she-gave-birth-to-a-child-that-may-have-been-fathered-by-my-former-best-friend sort of day, but still pretty awful. There's dirt smeared on his face, a gash over his left eye and a soiled white bandage wrapped loosely around one hand. He's gasping for breath as he trudges up a hill outside the prison he and the band of survivors he's leading call home. He looks like he might collapse.

Nine Walking Dead Villains We're Dying to See

Director Ernest Dickerson has yelled "Cut!

Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.

Come Back Tonight To See My List Of The 200 Best!

****

Special Mention:

Wait until Dark

Directed by Terence Young

Written by Robert Carrington

USA, 1967

Directed by Terence Young,...

With Halloween in the air, we thought it would be fun to reach out to the horror genre's biggest and brightest stars - both legends in the industry and up-and-coming superstars - to ask them two quick questions: What's your biggest fear, and what's your favorite scary movie? Read on for the results!

Some of the results will make you laugh. Some will make you shiver... and some, well some are just too funny for words. Sit back and get ready to hear from the likes of Anne Rice, John Carpenter, Robert Englund, the "Ghost Adventures" crew, cast members from "The Walking Dead," George A. Romero, and many - Many - more. Who knows? You may even find some new movies you should check out or at least revisit.

Let the scares begin!

A

Jace Anderson

Writer - The Toolbox Murders (2004), Schism, Night of the Demons (2009), Mother of Tears

1) I...

Early word of deviations from Max Brooks' popular book and further news of reshoots and ending changes initially alarmed fans of the source material, but this horror action adventure starring Brad Pitt actually exceeded most people's expectations. Pitt plays a U.N. worker tasked with the unenviable mission of trying to slow down a global zombie pandemic that's turning the entire world population into streaming hordes of flesh eaters. Despite its PG-13 rating director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) managed to shoot it so you think you see more violence than you actually do. And those streaming, running hordes--zombies on a plane! Zombies piling high over the walls of Jersulem!--are pretty f'ing terrifying. What the film lacks in character development and source...

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After we gave you initial release details earlier today, we have the official World War Z unrated Blu-ray announcement from Paramount. We also have additional details on what to expect from the digital, DVD, and 3D Blu-ray versions.

“Hollywood, Calif. – August 2, 2013 – “The suspense is killer!” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) in the fast-paced, pulse-pounding epic World War Z, debuting on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D™, DVD and On Demand on September 17, 2013. The pandemic begins one week early on Digital September 10th. Due to overwhelming demand, the film has been digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® 3D format and will be released in select IMAX theaters domestically for an exclusive one-week running beginning today.

Starring international superstar Brad Pitt and based on the best-selling and wildly popular novel, World War Z took audiences by storm and was hailed by critics as “thrilling, epic and spectacular” (Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly) and the “most gratifying action spectacle in years!

The zombie pandemic is coming to your homes.

The fast-paced, pulse-pounding World War Z will debut on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and On Demand on September 17, 2013. Fans can watch it one week early on Digital September 10th.

The film has been digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX 3D format and is back in select IMAX theaters domestically for an exclusive one-week run beginning today.

Starring international superstar Brad Pitt and based on the best-selling and wildly popular novel, World War Z took audiences by storm and was hailed by critics as ”thrilling, epic and spectacular” (Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly) and the “most gratifying action spectacle in years!” (David Denby, The New Yorker). The tense and thrilling film follows a former United Nations investigator (Pitt) as he helps stop the chaotic pandemic that has gripped populations around the world. World War Z features stunning visual effects and edge-of-your-seat action and suspense...

We want to thank everyone, especially Daily Dead readers, that attended the Zombies in Pop Culture panel last week at Comic-Con. Panelists Max Brooks, Matt Mogk, Steven Schlozman, Scott Kenemore, Aaron Sagers, Bradley Voytek, and Jonathan James discussed topics including zombie survivalists, the increasing popularity of zombies, and The Walking Dead. For those that weren’t able to make it to Comic-Con, we have the entire panel for you to watch right now.

“Max Brooks (Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z), Matt Mogk (Zombie Research Society), Steven Schlozman (The Zombie Autopsies), Scott Kenemore (Zen of Zombie, Zombie Ohio), Aaron Sagers (Journalist and TV host), Bradley Voytek (neuroscientist), and Jonathan James (DailyDead.com) discuss why zombies are so popular today. Join this expert panel for a Q&A session covering everything from the origin of the modern zombie to the deep-rooted fears it represents.”

We want to give a big thanks...

Our own Jonathan James will be appearing on the Zombies in Pop Culture panel tonight at Comic-Con, with guests that include Max Brooks and Matt Mogk. If you’re attending the convention today, we have all the details so you can stop by.

“Max Brooks (Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z), Matt Mogk (Zombie Research Society), Steven Schlozman (The Zombie Autopsies), Scott Kenemore (Zen of Zombie, Zombie Ohio), Aaron Sagers (Journalist and TV host), Bradley Voytek (neuroscientist), and Jonathan James (DailyDead.com) discuss why zombies are so popular today. Join this expert panel for a Q&A session covering everything from the origin of the modern zombie to the deep-rooted fears it represents.”

The panel will be taking place at the San Diego Convention Center as part of this year’s Comic-Con. We’re expecting a packed house, so please arrive early if you want a good seat. The panel...

Welcome to the inaugural column of Comic Execution, containing capsule reviews of notable new releases in the comic book world, focusing on the horrific, weird, fringe and fantastic. With this debut, you get a few bonus reviews in addition to the regular three-book format I’ll be sticking with from here on out. Now, it’s time for…

Sheltered #1

Writer: Ed Brisson

Artist: Johnnie Christmas

Colorist: Shari Chankhamma

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3

This was a book that took me by surprise. Image has a lot of titles out there, most of them quality. I’m a fan. But I’m also perpetually cynical about their approach to remaining relevant by launching new titles with rapid-fire frequency. Yet they’ve kept an impressive ratio of hits to misses and, despite being much hyped, Sheltered knocks it out of the park.

Essentially, Sheltered is a story about the kind of thing that...

Comic Con hasn’t been strictly superheroes in a long, long time. We have scoured the schedule for this year’s event and have pulled out the dark, the bloody, the monstrous, and the ghostly panels that look to be right up FEARnet readers’s alley.

Paranormal Passion Panel

Authors discuss the inclusion of romantic elements in their action-packed novels. Protagonists must battle the forces of evil while trying to keep the world (and often their lovers) safe from destruction. Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy leads a discussion with Comic-Con special guest Christine Feehan (The Dark Series), Claudia Gray (Spellcaster), Aprilynne Pike (Earthbound), Lauren Kate (The Fallen Novels), Kendare Blake (Antigoddess), and Magnus Flyte (City of Dark Magic).

Thursday July 18, 2013 10:30am - 11:30am

Room 24Abc

Masters of the Web

Some of the most prominent and influential film pundits on the web discuss the film industry, writing for film online,...

The full Saturday, July 20th schedule for Comic-Con has been officially announced and includes panels for Bates Motel, Godzilla, True Blood, and much more. Continue reading for a list of Saturday’s horror events:

A&E Bates Motel: “The Bates Motel is open for business in San Diego! Executive producers Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) will release new footage from the highly acclaimed A&E drama series Bates Motel exclusively for Comic Con attendees. The executive producers will be joined by the cast, including Academy Award nominee Vera Farmiga (Norma Bates), Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates), Max Thieriot (Dylan), Olivia Cooke (Emma), and Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero) to discuss the show’s unique backstory and creation. Fans will get an opportunity to hear more about season 2, debuting in 2014 on A&E, and will have a chance to ask the cast and creators questions during a Q&A.

There's always one day during the Sdcc when you just shake your head, laugh, and say, "This schedule is ridiculous." Saturday, July 20th, is shaping up to be that day this year.

Horror fans will have a lot of choices to make as the "Bates Motel" panel battles the one-two punch of Godzilla and Seventh Son. Later in the day you'll be faced with choosing to learn more about "True Blood," Telltale's The Walking Dead video game, or "Being Human." Right now 20th Century Fox's presentation that runs at the same time remains "To Be Announced," but once details are revealed, we'll provide an update.

Other panels vying for your attention throughout the day are "The Originals," "Grimm," I, Frankenstein teamed with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (that combination should make for some interesting audience reactions), a look at gameplay from Dead Rising 3 on the Xbox One, more games, comics,...

After appearing in Comic-Con’s schedule yesterday, I can now officially announce that I’ll be a panelist on the Zombies in Pop Culture panel on Thursday, July 19th. With guests that include Max Brooks and Matt Mogk, we’ll be discussing the ever-increasing zombie craze:

“Max Brooks (Zombie Survival Guide, World War Z), Matt Mogk (Zombie Research Society), Steven Schlozman (The Zombie Autopsies), Scott Kenemore (Zen of Zombie, Zombie Ohio), Aaron Sagers (Journalist and TV host), Bradley Voytek (neuroscientist), and Jonathan James (DailyDead.com) discuss why zombies are so popular today. Join this expert panel for a Q&A session covering everything from the origin of the modern zombie to the deep-rooted fears it represents.”

The panel will be taking place at the San Diego Convention Center as part of this year’s Comic-Con. We’re expecting a packed house, so please arrive early if you want a good seat.

With Sdcc 2013 kicking off soon, Preview Night details and the full schedule for Day 1 have arrived. We have some tough decisions to make as The Walking Dead comics take on "The X-Files" reunion and then the "Dexter," "Hannibal," and "Teen Wolf" panels go head-to-head.

Per usual, the abovementioned choices are just the tip of the iceberg for genre fans with panels running all day and evening on July 18th for paranormal novels, sexy steampunkers, horror gaming, horror novels, horror comics, horror journalists (including our own Heather Wixson!), composers, the ever present and popular zombies, The Goon feature film, and - in the last panel of the night - horror sitcom "Holliston." Check out our picks below, and be sure to visit the official San Diego Comic-Con 2013 website for the full lineup.

Preview Night: Wednesday, July 17, 2013

6:00pm - Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings

Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition,...

The full Thursday, July 18th schedule for Comic-Con has been officially announced and includes a 10th Anniversary panel for The Walking Dead comic book series, a panel for the Hannibal TV series, and a panel for Dexter‘s final season. Continue reading for a list of Thursday’s horror panels, including a certain zombie panel we’ll be officially announcing tomorrow:

Paranormal Passion Panel: Authors discuss the inclusion of romantic elements in their action-packed novels. Protagonists must battle the forces of evil while trying to keep the world (and often their lovers) safe from destruction. Maryelizabeth Hart of Mysterious Galaxy leads a discussion with Comic-Con special guest Christine Feehan (The Dark Series), Claudia Gray (Spellcaster), Aprilynne Pike (Earthbound), Lauren Kate (The Fallen Novels), Kendare Blake (Antigoddess), and Magnus Flyte (City of Dark Magic).

10:30am – 11:30am, Room 24Abc

Ghost Ghirls: A Behind-the-Scenes Paranormal Experience with Jack Black: Hey Comic-Con!

Max Brooks on Discovery Channel show Sons of Guns

In a profile by Taffy Brodesser-Akner for the New York Times, Max Brooks, author of both World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide, is apparently quite serious about the zombie apocalypse. I have little doubt that Max Brooks is an intelligent man, and behind his facade of anxiety and fear, I think he has a fairly ironic sense of humour. That being said, I don’t think he understands horror or its fans. He says:

“I’m not a horror fan,” he said. “I’m an anti-horror fan. I think horror fans feel deep down in the pit of their souls, they feel safe, and therefore bored. And therefore they want to be scared. I already have a baseline level of just anxiety about the world I live in,” he continued, metaphorically pushing the horror genre away from him on the table.

It seems like it's been forever since Brad Pitt was in a movie — well, one that everyone got a chance to see, anyway. Even though the movie star appeared in "Killing Them Softly" just last fall, "World War Z" marks his first big return to the screen since 2011's "Moneyball," and that return is just one of the big reasons to see the new thriller. Directed by Marc Forster ("Quantum of Solace") from Max Brooks' acclaimed novel, the film follows a retired United Nations employee who's called back into service after a worldwide zombie epidemic breaks out. But whether its incredible source material, zombies or Brad Pitt himself is your particular brand of cinematic catnip, take a look at 5 reasons to see "World War Z."

Brad Pitt Is Back.

As mentioned above, Pitt hasn't been in a "big" movie in a while — as fantastic as he was in "Inglorious Basterds" and "Benjamin Button,...

Remember all the doomsaying way back when (up until about three days ago) that Brad Pitt's zombie epic "World War Z" was doomed to be a flop?

There was all the negative buzz about the troubled production (which cost a reported $190 million and included extensive last-minute reshoots of a new ending), the six-month delay from its initial release date (also never a good sign), and the fanboy complaints about how much the movie, especially with its new ending, differed from the Max Brooks book that was its source. Besides, Pitt has never been a summer blockbuster kind of star, and his effort to make himself one at all costs a quarter-century into his career reeked of hubris (he produced the film, too) and was probably doomed to failure. Opening against a Pixar movie, there was no way "World War Z" was going to make more than $50 million out of the gate.