News

The 2024 Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival opened Nov. 8 with a screening of “Queen of the Ring,” writer-director Ash Avildsen’s biopic of female wrestler Mildred Burke starring Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, Walton Goggins and Gavin Casalegno. Marking the festival’s 39th year, the film commenced ten days of programming across seven South Florida venues, including the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to costume designer Bob Mackie.

Speaking from the red carpet Friday night, Fliff chair Lisa Grigorian thrilled at this year’s programming. “We are so excited for this year’s festival,” Grigorian said. “We’ve got a hundred films from 35 countries — something for everybody.”

Attending the festival for the first time, “Queen of the Ring” costar Casalegno spoke about what resonated with him in Burke’s true life story. “I really wanted to make films that will make the world a better place, and I wanted to...

Catherine Curtin, best known for her work as correctional officer Wanda Bell in “Orange Is the New Black,” has signed with Fusion Entertainment.

Curtin recently completed production on Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night,” portraying Joan Carbunkle, an NBC censor who squares off against the show’s producer Lorne Michaels and the rest of the “Saturday Night Live” creative team during the program’s first season.

A veteran of 150 films and TV shows, Curtin has appeared in “Partner Track,” “Homeland” and “Insecure.” Her credits also include roles in “Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens,” “Tommy,” “The Loudest Voice,” “The Blacklist,” “Mindhunter,” “Blue Bloods,” “Bull,” “Law & Order,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “The Naked Brothers Band” and “Surveillance.” In addition, she had a recurring role on Netflix’s smash hit “Stranger Things,” appearing in 11 episodes.

Her upcoming productions include “Bad Shabbos,” which showed at Tribeca,” and “If That Mockingbird Don’t Sing,” which screened at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Founders Day: "In this satirical political slasher from the Bloomquist Brothers, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election. As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.

Fresh off of a multi-city national theatrical run, has enjoyed a strong festival and great critical reception. The latest feature from fraternal writing-director duo Erik & Carson Bloomquist and production outfit Mainframe Pictures boasts a strong ensemble cast including the reunion of 13 Reasons Why stars Devin Druid and Amy Hargreaves, Naomi Grace (NCIS), Catherine Curtin (Stranger Things), Emilia McCarthy (SkyMed), Olivia Nikkanen (The Society), and William Russ (Boy Meets World)."

Directed by: Erik Bloomquist Written by: Erik Bloomquist & Carson Bloomquist Produced by: Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist & Adam Weppler Production Company:...

Two of this year’s theatrical releases have made their at-home debuts this week, and they bring along with them an original slasher movie, a found footage movie, and the feature debut of the filmmaker who’s about to make his mark on the Evil Dead film franchise.

Here’s all the new horror releasing May 6 – May 12, 2024!

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

Less than two months after releasing in theaters, where it has scared up $195.2 million at the box office, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now available on Digital at home.

You can rent the film for $19.99 or purchase it for $24.99.

In Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level.

The return of a fan favorite franchise, the critically acclaimed new movie from a modern day genre visionary, and a slasher from the perspective of the Jason Voorhees-like killer.

It’s all headed our way in the coming weeks. And it’s only the tip of the iceberg…

Here’s all the new horror releasing in theaters and at home in May 2024!

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

I Saw The TV Glow – May 3 (Limited), May 17 (Wide)

Fresh off the haunting and singularly creepy indie We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, Jane Schoenbrun is back with A24‘s I Saw the TV Glow, releasing only in theaters May 3.

In I Saw the TV Glow, “Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own.

Stars: Olivia Nikkanen, Naomi Grace, Jayce Bartok, Devin Druid, Emilia McCarthy, Amy Hargreaves, Catherine Curtin | Written by Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist | Directed by Erik Bloomquist

The Bloomquist brothers, director Erik and co-writer Carson are back with their second film this year, following up their summer camp horror She Came from the Woods with Founders Day. Billed as a political slasher has an interesting history to it. The original concept dates back to 2011, and a script that was considered for inclusion in Project Greenlight. They even made a conceptual trailer for it before the project collapsed. And what better time to revive it than now in a time of political division and violence?

In the town of Fairwood, two things are fast approaching, its 300th anniversary and the election of its next mayor. The race is a contentious one, the first image we see is of a campaign sign being destroyed.

After being released exclusively in movie theaters this past January, the tricentennial-themed slasher movie Founders Day is now headed home courtesy of Dark Sky Films.

Founders Day will be released on at-home Digital on Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

In this “bold political slasher” from the Bloomquist Brothers, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election.

As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.

“We’re very happy to be partnering with the team at Dark Sky who know and love the power of genre cinema like we do,” said the Bloomquist brothers. “As the chaos of modern politics rages, The Founder is primed and ready to be unleashed on American audiences.”

Erik Bloomquist directed Founders Day, written by Erik and Carson Bloomquist.

Close on the heels of Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving came another holiday-themed slasher movie, as director Erik Bloomquist‘s slasher movie Founders Day received a limited theatrical release in the United States, courtesy of Dark Sky Films, back in January. If you didn’t catch the movie during its run on the big screen, we have a positive update to share with you today: Coming Soon reports that Founders Day has a digital release date of May 7th.

Written by Erik Bloomquist and Carson Bloomquist, Founders Day is a contemporary murder mystery set in the midst of a heated mayoral election on the eve of a quaint New England town’s tricentennial.

The Bloomquist brothers produced the film for Mainframe Pictures, alongside Adam Weppler. Hargreaves co-produced with William Russ. William Kay serves as executive producer with Blue Finch Films’ Mike Chapman and Fatima Hayward.

The film stars Amy Hargreaves (Brainscan...

Fedora fashion.

After kicking off 2024 with discussions on the better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II (listen), the surprisingly progressive Killer Condom (listen) and the very gay (and very terrible) The Covenant, we’re wrapping up January with a conversation about Christian E. Christiansen‘s pseudo-remake of Single White Female: The Roommate.

The Roommate sees Sara (Minka Kelly), a young design student from Iowa, arrive for college in Los Angeles. Her wealthy roommate, Rebecca (Leighton Meester), is more than eager to take Sara under her wing and show her the ropes. The two become close, but when Sara begins to branch out and make more friends on campus, Rebecca becomes resentful. This brings out her more psychotic tendencies as she embarks on a mission to prove that Sara only needs one best friend: her.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts,...

Devin Druid stars in the satirical slasher horror flick Founders Day, and to mark the film’s North American release, we had the pleasure of speaking to the talented actor on Zoom, to discuss the project and character at hand. He also speaks in great detail about his affection for the genre, while discussing his own plans to direct and produce one day.

He also talks about the pressure that derives from having such a huge social media following, and he manages that aspect of his career. You can watch all of that and more in our chat with the affable actor, in the video below.

Synopsis

A series of ominous murders rocks a small town just days before a heated mayoral election. As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every corner, residents must race against time to uncover the truth.

Founders Day is out now...

Forgiven for Forgetting

After starting the year with one of the best horror sequels of all time in Hellbound: Hellraiser II, we moved into the hilariously smart German satire Killer Condom. Trace and I should have known the good times wouldn’t last!

With this week’s discussion of Renny Harlin‘s The Covenant, we begin a two-week stretch of poorly rated, very dumb thrillers. In the film, Caleb (Steven Strait) is a member of the popular Boys of Ipswich at an elite boarding school. He also has a dangerous birthright: the men in his family can use The Power to get what they want.

The trade-off? The more they use their abilities, the faster they age, as evidenced by his father’s (Stephen McHattie) condition.

Things change with the arrival of dangerous bad boy Chase (Sebastian Stan). Suddenly both Caleb’s relationship with Sarah (Laura Ramsey) and his 18th birthday ascension are under threat.

Origin Director Ava Duvernay returns to the big screen with “Origin” based on the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. (See review below) Founder Day Another week, another horror movie but “Founders Day” is a slasher film that’s cut above the rest! (See review below) I.S.S. Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose returns

The post Movie Reviews: “Origin,” “Founders Day,” “I.S.S.” appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

Making it past the post by the smallest sliver of a hair, “Founders Day” is worth watching if only because it brings a jolt of femme queer weirdness to a genre historically dominated by men. Sure, it still includes a half-naked, quarter-witted, straight blonde chick getting attacked by a serial killer, promptly grabbing her boobs with both hands, and running down a school hallway scream-whining, “I learned my lesson!” But that’s just the (super creepy) price you’ll have to pay to enjoy star Naomi Grace as a likable lesbian final girl in an otherwise wildly misguided horror comedy from the Blooomquist Brothers.

The star-spangled political slasher starts off strong enough, introducing the authentically charming high school sweethearts Allison (Grace) and Melissa (Olivia Nikkanen). The seniors stand on the precipice of college, locking their initials to a local bridge in their hometown of Fairwood on a chilly, romantic night in November.

“Divisive” has become the fallback term for just about any political personality or issue in recent years, so bitter have differences between the two parties and many of their adherents become. The more fanatical beliefs to be found in an era of increasingly alarmist rhetoric have already provided inspiration for some horror movies, primarily smaller indie productions. The new “Founders Day,” which opens Jan. 19 on 700-plus U.S. screens, is slicker than most such while also more overt in pivoting on political rancor.

But you can’t make a pointed movie about politics — not even a semi-tongue-in-cheek genre film — without political content, and Erik Bloomquist’s feature proves toothless in that regard. Apparently afraid to offend anyone, despite numerous murders onscreen, it centers on a hostile mayoral race between candidates who posture stereotypically yet seem to have no discernible platform, ideology or affiliations on the liberal-to-conservative continuum. That renders the intended satire feeble,...

After a fantastic MLK Jr. holiday weekend, we’re going into two weekends with either lower-profile releases or no new wide releases at all. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

As far as the new releases this week, we have Ava DuVernay‘s critically acclaimed drama “Origin,” starring Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (“King Richard”), which takes a look into the world of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson, and her journey to writing 2020’s best-selling “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.”

Co-starring Jon Bernthal, recent Emmy winners Niecy Nash-Betts and Nick Offerman, plus Finn Wittrock, Vera Farmiga and Audra McDonald, the movie has received strong reviews since it debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last September before getting a platform Oscar-qualifying release in early December. It’s currently at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

It’s an interesting drama that spends equal time covering Wilkerson’s domestic life,...

Moments into Founders Day, the latest film by co-writer/director Erik Bloomquist, two small-town teens, Allison Chambers (Naomi Grace) and Melissa Faulkner (Olivia Nikkanen), discuss the seemingly inevitable end of their high-school romance as they take a stroll on a desolate, nighttime bridge. Little do Allison and Melissa know, though, but they’re not in an indie teen drama or straight-to-streaming comedy. They’re right smack in the middle of a calendar-themed slasher and said slashing, dicing, and mallet-wielding masked killer shows up out of nowhere, leading, in turn, to the obligatory desperate fight for survival for Allison and Melissa against the killer. Not surprisingly, their encounter with a masked killer doesn’t go well. Allison somehow manages to survive, mostly...

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

32 Centimeters

After kicking off the year with Trace’s favorite Hellraiser film, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, we’re taking a hard left turn into camp, politics, and a German take on New York City with Killer Condom.

We’ve previously discussed director Martin Walz‘s film in our editorial series (here) and it was a delight to revisit the sly, subversive tale of prophylactics that bite off men’s dicks. The hero of the tale is gay cop Luigi Mackeroni (Udo Samel), who has a trans ex, a mildly homophobic partner, and a twinky sex worker love interest.

As police captains and politicians dispute the dangers of the penis-munching condoms, Mackeroni must use his considerable <ahem> talent to find Smirnoff, the Russian mad scientist, and the mastermind behind the plan to eliminate Germany…er…New York City’s gay population.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday.

Founders Day Photo: David Apuzzo/Mainframe Pictures There are lots of ways to tell when you’re in good hands while watching a movie. It might be the casting, or the lighting, or the clever dialogue in the script. It might be the way the film plays with genre, or...

Founders DayPhoto: David Apuzzo/Mainframe Pictures

There are lots of ways to tell when you’re in good hands while watching a movie. It might be the casting, or the lighting, or the clever dialogue in the script. It might be the way the film plays with genre, or the...

We’re here about a mattress…

After wrapping up 2023 with look at New French Extremity in Inside (listen), horror musicals in Anna and the Apocalypse (listen) and the Best Horror Films of 2023 (listen), we’re kicking off our first official episode of 2024 with a lengthy discussion of Tony Randel‘s better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), which just celebrated its 35th anniversary!

Hellbound: Hellraiser II picks up hours after the first film ended, seeing Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) confined to a mental hospital after she tells the authorities that her father was betrayed by his evil, adulterous wife, Julia (Clare Higgins), and is now being tormented in hell by sadomasochistic demons called Cenobites. Few believe Kirsty, except the thrill-seeking Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham), who is so intrigued by her frightening stories that he teams up with a newly resurrected Julia. When they open the gates to Hell and unleash the Cenobites,...

Top to bottom: Kerry Condon in Night Swim (courtesy Universal Pictures), Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse in Lisa Frankenstein (courtesy Focus Features), Imaginary (courtesy Lionsgate)Graphic: The A.V. Club

After wrapping up a great year of horror cinema in 2023, the genre shows no signs of resting on its laurels in...

Close on the heels of Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving comes another holiday-themed slasher movie, director Erik Bloomquist‘s slasher movie Founders Day, which Dark Sky Films will be giving a limited theatrical release in the United States on January 19th. There’s a mayoral election at the center of this one, and in a newly released promo – which you can watch in the embed above – viewers are introduced to the two candidates. Check it out!

Written by Erik Bloomquist and Carson Bloomquist, Founders Day is a contemporary murder mystery set in the midst of a heated mayoral election on the eve of a quaint New England town’s tricentennial.

The Bloomquist brothers produced the film for Mainframe Pictures, alongside Adam Weppler. Hargreaves co-produced with William Russ. William Kay serves as executive producer with Blue Finch Films’ Mike Chapman and Fatima Hayward.

The film stars Amy Hargreaves (Brainscan), Devin Druid (13 Reasons Why...

Close on the heels of Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving comes another holiday-themed slasher movie, director Erik Bloomquist‘s slasher movie Founders Day, which Dark Sky Films will be giving a limited theatrical release in the United States on January 19th. With that date just one month away, a trailer for Founders Day has made its way online and can be seen in the embed above.

Written by Erik Bloomquist and Carson Bloomquist, Founders Day is a contemporary murder mystery set in the midst of a heated mayoral election on the eve of a quaint New England town’s tricentennial.

The Bloomquist brothers produced the film for Mainframe Pictures, alongside Adam Weppler. Hargreaves co-produced with William Russ. William Kay serves as executive producer with Blue Finch Films’ Mike Chapman and Fatima Hayward.

The film stars Amy Hargreaves (Brainscan), Devin Druid (13 Reasons Why), Emilia McCarthy (SkyMed), Catherine Curtin (Stranger Things), William...

"A gavel-banging good time." What a funny quote. Dark Sky Films has revealed the full official trailer for an indie horror film called Founders Day, opening in theaters this January. It premiered at a few genre fests this year including Popcorn Frights Film Festival along with FrightFest London and the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. It will be slashing the big screen soon. The newest genre title from the Bloomquist Brothers marks the reunion of 13 Reasons Why duo Devin Druid and Amy Hargreaves. They're part of an ensemble cast that also features Naomi Grace, William Russ, Catherine Curtin, Emilia McCarthy, & Olivia Nikkanen. In the film, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated Mayoral election. It's described as a "political slasher", bringing the corrupt politics of this town right into the plot. Watch out. // Continue Reading ›...

The slasher movie Founders Day is headed exclusively to movie theaters on January 19, 2024, and the official trailer for the rated “R” slasher has sliced our way this afternoon.

Watch the official trailer for Founders Day below.

In this “bold political slasher” from the Bloomquist Brothers, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election.

As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.

“We’re very happy to be partnering with the team at Dark Sky who know and love the power of genre cinema like we do,” said the Bloomquist brothers. “As the chaos of modern politics rages, The Founder is primed and ready to be unleashed on American audiences.”

Erik Bloomquist directed Founders Day, written by Erik and Carson Bloomquist.

Earlier this week, we learned that director Erik Bloomquist‘s slasher movie Founders Day has secured a North American distribution deal with Dark Sky Films, and the company is planning to give it a theatrical release sometime in the first quarter of 2024. In preparation for that release, the movie has also now secured a rating from the Motion Picture Association ratings board. Founders Day has been rated R for “strong bloody violence, language, and some sexual references.” So it delivers pretty much what you expect to see from a slasher movie.

Written by Erik Bloomquist and Carson Bloomquist, Founders Day is a contemporary murder mystery set in the midst of a heated mayoral election on the eve of a quaint New England town’s tricentennial.

The Bloomquist brothers produced the film for Mainframe Pictures, alongside Adam Weppler. Hargreaves co-produced with William Russ. William Kay serves as executive producer with Blue...

The slasher movie Founders Day is headed our way in early 2024 from Dark Sky Films, and we’ve learned this week that the film has received an official “R” rating from the MPA.

Founders Day is rated “R” for…

“Strong bloody violence, language and some sexual references.”

You can check out the official teaser trailer below for a taste.

In this “bold political slasher” from the Bloomquist Brothers, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election.

As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.

“We’re very happy to be partnering with the team at Dark Sky who know and love the power of genre cinema like we do,” said the Bloomquist brothers. “As the chaos of modern politics rages,...

A year after production wrapped on director Erik Bloomquist‘s slasher movie Founders Day, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the film has secured a North American distribution deal with Dark Sky Films, and the company is planning to give it a theatrical release sometime in the first quarter of 2024.

Written by Erik Bloomquist and Carson Bloomquist, Founders Day is a contemporary murder mystery set in the midst of a heated mayoral election on the eve of a quaint New England town’s tricentennial.

The Bloomquist brothers produced the film for Mainframe Pictures, alongside Adam Weppler. Hargreaves co-produced with William Russ. William Kay serves as executive producer with Blue Finch Films’ Mike Chapman and Fatima Hayward.

The film stars Amy Hargreaves (Brainscan), Devin Druid (13 Reasons Why), Emilia McCarthy (SkyMed), Catherine Curtin (Stranger Things), William Russ (Boy Meets World), Naomi Grace (NCIS), Olivia Nikkanen (The Society), Jayce Bartok (When They See Us...

Blue Finch Films has locked the North American sale for the Bloomquist brothers’ political slasher Founders Day after the American Film Festival that ran earlier this month. The film has been acquired by Dark Sky Films and will be theatrically released in the first-quarter of 2024. The deal was negotiated by Mike Chapman on behalf of Blue Finch Films and Giles Edwards, head of development and acquisitions for Dark Sky.

After screenings at Popcorn Frights and FrightFest, the film has enjoyed a strong festival run including screenings at San Sebastián Horror and Fantasy Film Festival and most recently an award winning screening at Toronto After Dark.

Founders Day is a contemporary murder-mystery set in a small town that is stricken by ominous killings on the eve of its tricentennial celebration and impending mayoral election.

The latest feature from fraternal writing-director duo Erik & Carson Bloomquist and production outfit Mainframe Pictures boasts an...

Slashers often contain political elements, but we rarely see a slasher about politics. Enter Founders Day, from co-writers Carson Blomquist and Erik Blomquist.

The town of Fairwood is celebrating its tricentennial and there’s a mayoral election on the horizon. The incumbent, Mayor Blair Gladwell (Amy Hargreaves), is campaigning on consistency, while her adversary, Harold Faulkner (Jayce Bartok), is advocating change. Divided along campaign lines are their children: Faulkner’s put-upon lesbian daughter Melissa (Olivia Nikkanen) and his son Adam (Devin Druid) who used to date Gladwell’s daughter Lilly (Emilia McCarthy).

The star-crossed lovers of competing political parents is a tantalizing premise, but Founders Day packs innumerable other characters and subplots into the mix. Adam and Lilly’s failed relationship involves bad boy Rob (Tyler James White), there’s plenty of plotting among the town council involved in the election, and even Melissa’s girlfriend Allison (Naomi Grace) has...

Just as Halloween or Elm Street had done before it, Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson’s teen-romp-cum-violent-slasher Scream totally changed the horror landscape at the back-end of the ’90s. With its overwhelming success, came a series of clones – almost identical adolescent whodunnits – covering everything from urban legends, to a Valentine’s Day killer with a bow and arrow. Fallible killers that were usually just townspeople in masks.

So it seems only apt that some twenty-something years on, with the return and resurgence of the now Scream franchise, a whole new generation of sleepy town slashers is on the rise. And if Erik Bloomquist’s Founders Day is the first of the pack, and a sign of what’s to come, we’re certainly in for some fun from this new class of hugely derivative, but exceptionally entertaining and yes, happily bloody, new killers.

In fact, Bloomsquist and his brother Carson...

Stars: Olivia Nikkanen, Naomi Grace, Jayce Bartok, Devin Druid, Emilia McCarthy, Amy Hargreaves, Catherine Curtin | Written by Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist | Directed by Erik Bloomquist

The Bloomquist brothers, director Erik and co-writer Carson are back with their second film this year, following up their summer camp horror She Came from the Woods with Founders Day. Billed as a political slasher has an interesting history to it. The original concept dates back to 2011, and a script that was considered for inclusion in Project Greenlight. They even made a conceptual trailer for it before the project collapsed. And what better time to revive it than now in a time of political division and violence?

In the town of Fairwood, two things are fast approaching, its 300th anniversary and the election of its next mayor. The race is a contentious one, the first image we see is of a campaign sign being destroyed.

It was last November when we heard that production had wrapped on director Erik Bloomquist‘s slasher movie Founders Day, and while the film still doesn’t have a release date, we do know when it’s going to have its world premiere: at 6pm on August 18th at the Popcorn Frights festival in Florida. With the premiere a few weeks away, a teaser poster for Founders Day has made its way online, and you can check it out at the bottom of this article.

Written by Erik Bloomquist and Carson Bloomquist, Founders Day is a contemporary murder mystery set in the midst of a heated mayoral election on the eve of a quaint New England town’s tricentennial.

The Bloomquist brothers produced the film for Mainframe Pictures, alongside Adam Weppler. Hargreaves co-produced with William Russ. William Kay serves as executive producer with Blue Finch Films’ Mike Chapman and Fatima Hayward.

In just a matter of weeks, Popcorn Frights Film Festival will return for its ninth edition of sun-soaked, blood-splattered cinematic scares this August in South Florida, and following the reveals of their first two waves of programming, the third wave of must-see screenings and essential events for the festival has been announced, including the Bloomquist Brothers’ new slasher Founders Day, Olivia West Lloyd’s Somewhere Quiet, a 4K restoration of Nightmare (1981), horror movie trivia presented by Fangoria, and much more!

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 Screening Room” at Miami Beach's O Cinema South Beach (as part of a special partnership between Popcorn Frights and Entertainment Squad's The Horror Collective).

You can purchase In-Theater All-Access Badges here and Virtual Passes here.

Below, we have a look at...

Popcorn Frights‘ third wave of programming is here, bringing even more delightful frights and curated programming for their most ambitious year yet. Prepare for a weeklong, face-melting celebration of genre cinema with 48 feature film presentations from 20 countries, industry sessions, beach parties, live performances, horror trivia, live comedy, and so much more.

The fest is back this year for its ninth edition, both in-person and virtually, from August 10-20 in Fort Lauderdale, South Beach and virtually nationwide.

Highlights from the third wave of Popcorn Frights 2023 programming include the Bloomquist Brothers’ political slasher Founders Day, Marcel Walz’s giallo thriller That’S A Wrap, Anthony Cousins’ found footage creature feature Frogman, Devanny Pinn’s Florida-set serial killer thriller The Black Mass, as well as the killer mannequin creepfest Don’T Look Away, the 30th anniversary of Fred Williamsons’ super-rare made-in-Miami murder mystery South Beach starring Gary Busey, Peter Fonda, Robert Forster, and Vanity.