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Magnum P.I. fans, we now know — definitively! — when exactly you will have to say a very sad aloha to Thomas, Juliet et al.

Although a promo that aired this week indicated that Magnum P.I. will return from the holiday break on Jan. 3, 2024 with but a singular episode, TVLine can confirm — double-secret officially! — that the island drama will in fact come to an end that Wednesday night, with a double-episode finale airing 9 to 11 pm Et.

More from TVLineThe Conners' Past Seasons to Air as Part of The CW's Primetime Lineup - Get Premiere DateSurvivor 45 Winner Details an Unseen Element...

This year’s limited program writing Emmy contest is unique in that it is the first in five years to include any TV movies at all and the first in 13 years to involve three of them. The one-off narrative specials in the running for this honor are “Fire Island,” “Prey,” and “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” all of which are also nominated for Best TV Movie, and the middle of which has achieved the rare feat of concurrently being recognized for its directing.

While all three of these telefilms stand as relatively strong contenders, this writing race is being very comfortably led by “Beef,” which is the only program that can possibly win all seven of this year’s major limited series Emmys. Putting up fights of their own are the miniseries “Fleishman is in Trouble” and “Swarm,” which both also face “Beef” in the corresponding lead actress and contemporary costumes categories.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin from “Succession” (HBO)

Weekly Commentary: Official commentary coming soon.

The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. Pt and close on Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. Pst.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit...

In Donald Glover and Janine Nabers’ “Swarm,” a highly-detailed dedication to all-things Beyoncé and her “Bey Hive” fanbase is key to the show’s menacingly satirical look at obsessive fandom turned murderous.

Credit “Swarm” production designer Sara K White with taking its creators’ ideal of singing sensation Ni’Jah (Nirine S. Brown) to nuanced extremes, while folding “The Swarm” and its greatest devotee Dre (Dominique Fishback) into Glover’s dreamlike “Atlanta” universe.

“I knew ‘Swarm’ was a sister to ‘Atlanta,’” said White of Glover’s beloved FX series. “What I wanted to evoke, then, was their shared interest in authenticity and irreverence to the point of whimsy.”

To heighten these qualities within Dre’s hardcore obsessions, “Ni’Jah and food”, production designer White — with set decorator Laura Wallgren, costume designer Dominique Dawson and cinematographer Drew Daniels — had to make Ni’Jah’s world palpable.

“I was given the first episode in December 2021, developed a look-book,...

Swarm, the latest TV project from Atlanta creator Donald Glover and Atlanta contributor Janine Nabers, isn’t shy about its inspirations.

This surreal seven-episode Prime Video horror saga follows a young woman named Andrea “Dre” Green (Dominique Fishback) whose obsession with fictional pop music legend Ni’Jah takes her to some dark, violent places. If the name of the show and the persistent buzzing a bee hive that opens each episode didn’t make it clear, Ni’Jah is very clearly an analogue for our culture’s own queen bee: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter … or more simply “Beyoncé.”

In speaking to Den of Geek prior to Swarm‘s premiere at SXSW 2023, Nabers discussed the legal and creative intricacies of crafting a fictional character based on the world’s biggest music star.

“Amazon is a very successful corporation so nothing gets past them that is not finely combed through,” Nabers says. “When...

We’ve all seen the hackneyed, poorly CG-ed, primetime Asylum special on Syfy version of Stung too many times before. Director Benni Diez, every producer, and each department head go the extra mile to avoid such a fate for their 80s throwback creature feature. That’s what’s so endearing about a 2015 “When Insects Attack” flick with gigantic ideas and the right approach, rooted in buzzworthy practical effects. Stung would play gangbusters along with other abominations of nature like Zombeavers or Eight Legged Freaks (for different reasons), also classics like Them! or Mosquito, and deserves reappraisal for standing out from the swarm.

Screenwriter Adam Aresty hatched the idea while working on an actual catering gig with a wasp problem, which he morphed into the gonzo invasion that takes place. Julia (Jessica Cook) runs a catering company hired for an annual New York garden party hosted by newly widowed Mrs. Perch...

Here’s the latest episode of the The Filmmakers Podcast, part of the ever-growing podcast roster here on Nerdly. If you haven’t heard the show yet, you can check out previous episodes on the official podcast site, whilst we’ll be featuring each and every new episode as it premieres.

For those unfamiliar with the series, The Filmmakers Podcast is a podcast about how to make films from micro budget indie films to bigger budget studio films and everything in-between. Our hosts Giles Alderson, Dan Richardson, Andrew Rodger and Cristian James talk how to get films made, how to actually make them and how to try not to f… it up in their very humble opinion. Guests will come on and chat about their film making experiences from directors, writers, producers, screenwriters, actors, cinematographers and distributors.

The Filmmakers Podcast #263: How to make a Netflix Hit with Blood Red Sky...

Hulu is out with its list of new content coming in July, and highlights include the “Veronica Mars” revival and the series premiere of the new “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” We also have the list of everything that’s being removed from the streaming service at the end of July.

Season 1-3 of the original “Veronica Mars” series will be available starting July 1, so you can brush up on all the background knowledge you’ll need to fully enjoy Season 4 when it drops July 26, with Kristen Bell returning the starring role as the title character after almost 15 years. Here’s everything we know about the revival so far.

The new Mindy Kaling-produced “Four Weddings and a Funeral” series comes July 31, with “Game of Thrones” star Nathalie Emanuel in the lead role. Original star Andie MacDowell will return as a guest star.

Also Read: Summer TV Premiere Dates: Here's...

By Kevin Scott

MoreHorror.com

I’ve always seen Christmas and New Year’s as the one-two punch of all holidays. All the prep that goes into Christmas to culminate in just one brief and fleeting day, and then being immediately followed by the end of the year. That year that has etched its last two digits into our subconscious, and dies hard when trying to learn to write or type the new two digits for the following year. New Year’s is also a time when you can add one more year to how long it’s been since you passed some of life’s memorable and major rites of passage, like high school or college graduation, or even how long ago your favorite films came out.

It can be a bit melancholy if you let it. One thing that is definitely a high point of all this closure...

Halloween may be over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t great horror and sci-fi movies arriving this Tuesday on Blu-ray and DVD. Scream Factory is keeping themselves busy with the release of both Bloodsucking Bastards and Stung (the latter in conjunction with IFC Midnight), and for those of you creature feature fans out there, Lavalantula comes home on November 3rd.

Other notable releases this week include México Barbaro, The Diabolical, Arrow’s special edition Blu for Tenderness of the Wolves, and The Diabolical.

Bloodsucking Bastards (Scream Factory Blu-ray & DVD)

Bloodsucking Bastards stars Fran Kranz as Evan Sanders, a low-level, dutiful employee stuck in a boring job at a soul-killing every corporation. Evan’s the kind of guy who does all the work and gets none of the credit, but at least he gets to spend his days with his beautiful co-worker/girlfriend Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick) and...

EpiPens will do no good against the massive stingers aimed at garden party guests in Stung, hitting Blu-ray tomorrow from Scream Factory. Ahead of the creature feature's home media release, we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away to Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of Stung.

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

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on November 8th. 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.

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Stung Blu-ray: "A fancy garden party goes terribly wrong after a local species of wasps mutate into giant predators. It's up to Paul (Matt O’Leary, Mother's Day,...

Creatures of the night co-workers and party-crashing mutant wasps invade home media next week with Scream Factory's respective Blu-ray releases of Bloodsucking Bastards and Stung, and we have clips and trailers from both high-definition horror films.

Bloodsucking Bastards Blu-ray: "An action-packed vampire comedy in the vein of Office Space and Shaun of the Dead, Bloodsucking Bastards stars Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods) as Evan Sanders, a dutiful and overworked employee stuck at a soul-killing corporation with his beautiful girlfriend, Amanda (Emma Fitzpatrick, Significant Mother), and his slacker best friend Tim (Joey Kern, Beneath). Evan's world begins to crumble when Amanda dumps him and his boss, Ted (Joel Murray, God Bless America), hands his coveted promotion to his nemesis Max (Pedro Pascal, Game of Thrones). But just when Evan's convinced that life couldn't bite any harder, his office mates start going through disturbing changes… and bodies begin to pile up.

To celebrate the release of Stung – on DVD and digital download from 26th October 2015 – we have a copy on DVD to giveaway courtesy of Entertainment One.

Fast-paced horror-comedy that sees a swarm of giant mutant wasps attacks a society garden party. A modern twist on B-movies such as Them! and Piranha, its gory fun and sense of humour will be a huge hit with horror fans. Featuring a cast of up-and-coming talent and genre fan favourite Lance Henriksen.

An upper-class garden party on a country estate turns to bloody chaos when a swarm of mutated wasps descends to feast upon its guests. Trying to escape the deadly insects, catering staffers Paul (Matt O’Leary) and Julia (Jessica Cook) retreat inside of the mansion with a handful of survivors, including the town’s mayor (Lance Henriksen) and local eccentric Sydney (Clifton Collins Jr). But with each victim they consume, the wasps...

Fast-paced horror-comedy Stung arrives on DVD on Monday 26th October which sees a swarm of giant mutant wasps attacks a society garden party. A modern twist on B-movies such as Them! and Piranha, its gory fun and sense of humour will be a huge hit with horror fans. Featuring a cast of up-and-coming talent and genre fan favourite Lance Henriksen we have 2 copies of Stung on DVD up for grabs.. Contest Ends on Monday, November 02, 2015...

It’s October, so you know what that means… Halloween! And what better way to celebrate the festival of fear than with a whole heap of new movie releases? But with a whole heap of new horror movies on the way this month, we thought we’d take a look at what UK distributors have to offer on DVD later this month:

Toolbox Murders 2

The handyman of horror is back with a new box of tricks in in this terrifying sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 2004 reimagining of the 1978 cult favourite. Picking up directly after the events of Hooper’s film, we follow ‘Coffin Baby’, Hollywood’s most twisted killers, as he plans to put the screws to a new victim – Samantha, the sister of his prey from his previous rampage. Samantha finds herself held captive in a house of horrors and forced to undergo the most unspeakable tortures…

Unlike previous releases,...

EpiPens will do no good against the massive stingers aimed at garden party guests in Stung. Scream Factory will release the creature feature horror comedy on Blu-ray and DVD on November 3rd, and we have a look at the film's cover art and list of bonus features.

Press Release: Created in the vein of the 1950s Giant Monster movies, Stung pits wasps against Wasps in a tale of contemporary “bee-movie” madness set at an upscale garden party. A delightfully gory creature feature, Stung will make its Blu-ray and DVD debut on November 3rd from Scream Factory, in partnership with IFC Midnight. Stung features a swarm of bonus content, including audio commentary with director Benni Diez, producer Benjamin Munz, and writer Adam Aresty; a Making of ‘Stung’featurette; production blogs; and more! Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com

In Stung, a fancy garden party goes terribly wrong...

Stars: Matt O’Leary, Jessica Cook, Lance Henriksen, Clifton Collins Jr., Cecilia Pillado | Written by Adam Aresty | Directed by Benni Diez

I love creature features. I love “killer bug” movies – like Infestation – even more (which would also explain my love for the Earth Defence Force video games). So it was pretty much guaranteed that I would adore Stung…

Blending the cliches of traditional insect movies with bizarre creature feature tropes, Stung – the debut feature from German director Benni Diez – follows caterers Paul and Julia, who are hired to organise the bar and buffet for wealthy Mrs. Perch’s annual garden party and think that’s all they have to worry about. Wrong! Mrs Perch’s illegally imported plant fertilizer has infected a local species of killer wasps and with the celebrations in full swing the swarm attack, lay eggs in their human prey, which then mutate into 7-foot tall predators with an attitude!

Benni Diez takes on the creature feature in his debut film Stung, which, while set in the Us, was actually shot in Germany. With a few familiar faces in the supporting cast and generally strong production values, his film coasts by on its modest ambitions, without ever trying very hard to break out of the box. An elderly woman is throwing a do in the garden of her country manor, which is being catered by Julia and Paul. The awkward party ambles along just fine until, mutated by illegal fertilizer, a breed of seven-foot wasps emerge from the ground and descend terror upon the guests. Now it's up to Julia and Paul to save the day, and along the way discover how they really feel...

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

Read More:  The 15 Indie Films You Must See This July: 'Amy,' 'The End of the Tour' and More "Stung" (July 3)Anyone afraid of bees will want to stay far away from Benni Diez's horror film, "Stung." Starring Clifton Collins Jr., Jessica Cook and Tony de Maeyer, the film is set at a fancy garden party where the upper class guests become prey to a colony of killer wasps that have mutated into seven foot tall predators. Hoping to save the day are two employees of the party's catering staff -- Paul and Julia -- who fight to save their lives while stumbling into a genre-friendly romance. Mixing comedy with a hybrid of monster movie and gross-out horror, "Stung" is a wicked little indie you shouldn't stream alone. "Gabriel" (July 7) Rory Culkin delivers the best work of his career so far as the titular character in the quietly terrifying "Gabriel,...

A sinister self-help app and giant killer wasps are coming to the West Coast this Friday, as the Arena Cinema Hollywood will play a double feature of i-Lived and Stung with Q&As after each film, and we've been provided with tickets to give away.

i-lived, Friday July 3Rd, 7:20 Pm

"Josh Fosse is a 20something guy whose life is going nowhere. His girl left, his rent is late, and he lacks a real job. He is trying to make it as an app reviewer online and decides to review a self help app called i-Lived for fun. He's signs on and immediately his life turns around. But will it last?

Q&A Panel and Post Reception with Producer Alix Taylor and star Jeremiah Watkins at 9 Pm in the Arena Cinema Courtyard."

Stung, Friday July 3Rd, 9:20 Pm (Horror/Comedy)

"A fancy garden party turns into upper class prey when...

As someone who grew up watching creature features (usually courtesy of Elvira’s Movie Macabre), I absolutely had a blast with Benni Diaz’s recent killer wasp romp, Stung. Part old-school critter camp, part new-school mentality, the horror comedy features some incredible special effects, tons of great gore and wickedly fun kills, as well as a strong script from Adam Aresty that does an excellent job balancing out the humor and horror of the situation. Stung never strays too far from its B-movie roots and perfectly celebrates everything fans enjoy about these types of films with an infectious enthusiasm.

Stung starts off rather innocently, as we follow Julia (Jessica Cook) and her co-worker Paul (Matt O’Leary) who are on their way to cater a swanky backyard party where they’re hoping to impress their upscale clientele. Everything goes as planned until a swarm of mutant killer wasps show up...

Spirit of the Wasp’s Nest: Diez’s Debut a Schlocky Creature Feature

African killer bees were once a common threat in disaster themed American cinema of the 1970s, reaching a penultimate plateau of ridiculousness with Irwin Allen’s famous 1978 celebrity packed stink bomb, The Swarm. Their aggressive cousins, mutant wasps, get a chance at bat in Stung, the directorial debut of Benni Diez. Previously a visual effects supervisor, whose most notable credit was Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia (2011), Diez utilizes his particular skillset to notable effect in his first feature. Unfortunately, some striking special effects are the only details saving the picture from being a complete waste of its audience’s time.

Julia (Jessica Cook) has recently had to take over control of her father’s catering business following his untimely death. She’s unsure if she’s up to snuff, relaying her fears to lone employee Paul (Matt...

For July 2015, we’ve got another jam-packed month of genre-related titles arriving on VOD (and a few other digital platforms too) to help fans beat the summer heat by staying inside and catching up on tons of great new movies.

IFC Midnight’s got a zany new creature feature called Stung that’s kicking off the month and for those of you who may have missed it in theaters earlier this year, the acclaimed breakout indie film It Follows is finally making its way to homes on VOD beginning July 2nd. Some other notable July VOD releases include 3-Headed Shark Attack, Felt, Alleluia, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Dark Was the Night, and Extinction.

Also, Dude Bro Party Massacre III - which premiered earlier this month at the Los Angeles Film Festival - is gearing up for its release as well in July; it won’t be arriving on traditional VOD platforms,...

This Friday, a brand new creature feature called Stung arrives in theaters and on VOD. The film co-stars the iconic Lance Henriksen as Mayor Caruthers, one of the unfortunate party-goers at a shindig that gets attacked by mutated killer wasps who leave shredded corpses in their wake. Daily Dead recently chatted with Henriksen about the new horror comedy from director Benni Diaz as well as his involvement in several other upcoming projects, including Harbinger Down, and whether or not he’d be up for more Millennium if all goes well with the upcoming revival of Chris Carter’s other popular series, The X-Files.

This movie is a ton of fun—I grew up on a lot of creature features, mostly due to Elvira and her show, and I thought Stung was a great blend of old-school creature campiness with this sort of new-school twist to it.

Lance Henriksen: You know,...

A little bit creature feature, a little bit banter, Shock Till You Drop presents an exclusive clip from Benni Diez’s killer wasp horror, Stung. Stung is quite a good bit fun. Its FX are creature design are imaginative and very goopy, while it keeps from being too bogged down in the more typical horror-comedy tropes of…

The post Exclusive Clip: Killer Wasp Creature Feature, Stung appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

"Avoid everything here - it's bad." Xyz Films and IFC Midnight have debuted a trailer for the movie Stung, from director Benni Diez, a horror about disgusting giant mutant, ugly ass wasps, that need to be slayed right now. Clifton Collins Jr., Jessica Cook, David Masterson & Lance Henriksen star as guests at a party that goes to hell when these mutant wasps emerge from the ground. The description claims that it has a "seamless blend of CGI and oozing practical effects", but I can't really tell. It's also supposed to be a horror comedy but none of the jokes really hit either. Anyway, take a look and let us know what you think. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Benni Diez's Stung, direct from IFC's YouTube: In a remote country villa set amid foggy rural farmlands, the elderly widow of a pharmaceutical magnate holds an annual garden party for...

Hulu's supernatural series, Deadbeat, which stars Tyler Labine as a stoned slacker who can communicate with the dead, has been renewed for a third season. Also in this round-up: Stung's release date and the trailer for the Kevin Bacon-starring Cop Car.

Deadbeat: Press Release (via TV By the Numbers) -- "Santa Monica, CA – May 26, 2015 – Hulu announced today that the Hulu Original series Deadbeat has been renewed for a third season with a 13-episode order. Produced by Lionsgate Television, the series is co-created by Cody Heller and Brett Konner (Wilfred, The Inbetweeners) and executive produced by showrunner Dan Lagana. Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Sarah Esberg from Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment are producers on the show.

The half-hour comedyseries stars Tyler Labine (Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Reaper) as Kevin Pacalioglu, a hapless but gifted mediumwho will go to any lengths to help New York’s ghosts settle their unfinished business.

A World Premiere at this past April’s Tribeca Film Festival, the largely practical, and largely enjoyable, garden party-killer wasp-creature feature Stung hits this July from IFC. Just in time for your own backyard soirées. Stung stars Jessica Cook & Matt O’Leary as a pair of caterers handling a wealthy, if dilapidated, southern garden party. Giant killer…

The post Official Trailer, Date: Killer Wasp Creature Feature, Stung appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

We learned last month that IFC Midnight will be releasing first-time director Benni Diez’s Stung later this year, but at the time an official date wasn’t announced. That changes today! Stung will be opening July 3rd in theaters and on VOD.… Continue Reading →

The post IFC Midnight Sets a Release Date for Stung appeared first on Dread Central.

Heavy metal horror, a Lovecraftian love story, party-crashing mutant wasps, and relentless New England ghosts will grace the silver screen at this year's Fantaspoa film festival in Brazil.

Press Release -- "Porto Alegre, April 27, 2015 - Brazil's Fantaspoa is proud to reveal the first wave of films selected for their upcoming eleventh edition, running from May 15th through the 31st. Latin America's largest genre film festival, which takes place annually in Porto Alegre, will announce their full line-up, consisting of more than 100 films, next weekend.

Fourteen titles have been confirmed, aside of the previously-announced opening night film, Jason Lei Howden's Deathgasm, and closing night features Uptake Fear (from Kapel Furman, Armando Fonseca and Gurcius Gewdner) and Toda La Noche (directed by Tamae Garateguy and Jimena Monteoliva).

Honored guests include Dennis Paoli, American screenwriter of Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Dagon; and Italian composer Fabio Frizzi, best known for...

Not a big fan of creepy-crawly insects? Neither am I, but I’d still recommend Benni Diez’s seven-foot-wasp creature-feature, Stung. Adam Aresty’s script is something birthed from a schlocky 70s ooze, along the lines of Frogs or The Swarm, favoring a tone that highlights B-Movie comedy over serious, sinisterly dark scares. Don’t get me wrong, these wasps are nothing to f$ck with, but Stung stays focused on being a bloody, charming horror comedy that’s worth the…wait for it…Buzz. Oh yea. Strap in folks. There’s plenty more wasp puns where that came from!

Diez’s film is your average backyard shindig turned insectoids-on-steroids nightmare, as we watch a cast of unlucky characters attempt to fight their way through a horde mutated wasps. Between Paul (Matt O’Leary) and Julia (Jessica Cook), the dweeby Sydney (Clifton Collins Jr.), his mother, and Mayor Caruthers (Lance Henriksen...

Stung isn’t winking, and it isn’t seeking “so bad it’s good” cult aggrandizement. The film is beautifully shot, gory and goopy as hell, and imaginative and applause-worthy in its largely practical FX work. If the story beats are a little same-old, director Benni Diez, writer Adam Aresty and their very talented SFX and VFX teams…

The post Tribeca Review: Stung is the Creature Feature You Want appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

IFC Midnight will release Benni Diez’s largely practical killer wasp creature feature, Stung, which is currently in the midst of its World Premiere screenings at New York City’s Tribeca Film Festival. There’s no word yet on when we can expect the release of the film, “centered around an extravagant garden party hosted by Mrs. Perch…

The post IFC Takes Tribeca Creature Feature, Stung appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Güeros premiered in Berlin last year. Separately, IFC Midnight has taken tonight’s Tribeca world premiere Stung off the table.

Mexican writer-director Alonso Ruizpalacios’ feature debut Güeros will open on May 20 in New York prior to a theatrical roll-out in select markets throughout the summer.

Digital and home media release are scheduled for later in the year on the Berlin 2014 best first feature award-winner and the recipient of 12 Mexican Ariel Award nominations.

Güeros is a road movie about two students and a younger brother who set off during the year-long university strike in 1999 to find a Mexican folk hero.

Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber brokered the deal with Mundial vice-president Cristina Garza.

IFC Midnight has picked up rights to Benni Diez’s creature feature Stung ahead of tonight’s world premiere in Tribeca’s Midnight strand. Christian Becker and Benjamin Munz produced for Germany-based Rat Pack Film Production, with [link=nm...

The benefits and potential downfalls of film funds and the strength of genre films were among topics covered during Frontières panel at Bifff, hosted by Eave and moderated by Tailored Films’ Ruth Treacy.

House of Netherhorror’s Jan Doense noted that one of the benefits of film funds in the European market when it came to genre films was that as it was soft money, they generally give “more artistic freedom”.

“The system gives the opportunity for original ideas to get funded in an easier way than in North America where there isn’t the support of a film fund.”

However, Xyz Films’ Todd Brown countered that support from film funds does have a potential downfall. “It’s certainly the company line about giving creative freedom, but what I see in Canada all the time is that it creates a cycle of dependence. Producers developing projects according to the tastes of the funding body as opposed to the...

Guests at the garden party in the upcoming creature feature, Stung, will have to replace their EpiPens with swords and flamethrowers if they want to survive the giants wasps from below that are featured in the film's first trailer. Also included in our latest video round-up is a boy next door with a creepy caretaker in John McNaughton's The Harvest, as well as Helen McCrory's tour of her character's eerily decorated mansion from the upcoming second season of Showtime's Penny Dreadful.

Stung: "Mrs. Perch, an elderly, wealthy lady from rural America, is throwing a fancy garden party at her remote country villa. Same procedure as every year - except this time her illegally imported plant fertilizer seeps into the ground. Subsequently, a local species of killer wasps that usually lay their eggs into other insects mutates into 7 ft tall predators. And the celebrating upper class company provides...

A stuck up garden party gets stung up in this SFX-heavy Tribeca Midnight Premiere.See the trailer, below. Directed by Benni Diez, Stung is set in a remote country villa amid foggy rural farmlands, where the elderly widow of a pharmaceutical magnate holds an annual garden party for the local elite in honor of her late…

The post Tribeca Trailer: Killer Wasp Creature Feature, Stung appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Earlier this week, we gave you details on first wave of special experiences and events taking place at the 2015 Stanley Film Festival. We now have details on their impressive slate of features, short films, and additional special events, including screenings of The Final Girls, Deathgasm, Stung, The Invitation, and We Are Still Here.

We're teaming up with the festival for live coverage and special opportunities for Daily Dead readers, so be sure to check back all month for contests, features, and more.

"April 2, 2014 (Denver, Co) - The Stanley Film Festival (Sff) produced by the Denver Film Society (Dfs) and presented by Chiller, announced today its Closing Night film, Festival lineup and the 2015 Master of Horror. The Festival will close out with The Final Girls. The film, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, is the story of a young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s,...

Audiences at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival best be watching the skies and keeping an ear open for any suspicious buzzing sounds because that's where Benni Diez's mutant wasp creature feature Stung will be making its debut and we've got the international trailer here to whet the appetite for what's coming!For catering staffers Paul and Julia, Mrs. Perch's fancy garden party at her remote country villa is nothing out of the ordinary. A mishap with toxic plant fertilizer leads to the most unwelcome of dinner guests: giant killer wasps. Director Benni Diez takes audiences on a thrilling, gory rollercoaster ride from campy to creepy, in this delightful and dreadful creature-feature.Matt O'Leary, Jessica Cook. Clifton Collins Jr and Lance Henriksen star. Check out the trailer below![Full...

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

The Tribeca Film Festival has always featured macabre offerings for horror hounds to enjoy, and this year is no exception. A poignant zombie drama starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin (which was originally scheduled to premiere at last year's Tiff), a mutated wasps creature feature co-starring Lance Henriksen and Clifton Collins Jr., and Adrián García Bogliano's darkly humorous kidnapping tale are just a few films on the onscreen scare slate for the 14th Annual Tribeca Film Festival.

Press Release - "New York, NY (March 3, 2015) —The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by At&T, today announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight, Midnight, and Special Screening sections as well as work in progress screenings. The 14th edition of the Festival will take place from April 15 to April 26 in New York City.

The Spotlight section features 40 films, consisting of 23 narratives and 17 documentaries. Twenty-four films in the selection world premiere at the Festival.

New work from William Monahan, Henry Hobson, Adrián García Bogliano and Neil Labute are among the Spotlight, Midnight and Special Screening selections announced on Thursday.

Tribeca Film Festival top brass announced the Spotlight section of 40 films comprising 23 narratives and 17 documentaries.

Twenty-four are world premieres, among them Monahan’s thriller Mojave, Labute’s Dirty Weekend and Henry Hobson’s zombie drama Maggie that Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions snapped up before Toronto before pulling the premiere.

Bogliano’s Here Comes The Devil follow-up Scherzo Diabolico plays in Midnight and is one of four world premieres in the five-strong genre strand.

Special Screenings include the world premiere of documentary Mary J. Blige – The London Sessions (pictured).

Work In Progress screenings include LoveTrue, the latest documentary from 2011 Best Documentary Feature Award winner Alma Har’el. Patrick Creadon, who directed 2011 entry Wordplay, will show a cut of All Work, All Play, which centres on the world of video game arena competitions.

“The Spotlight...

New work from William Monahan, Henry Hobson, Adrián García Bogliano and Neil Labute are among the Spotlight, Midnight and Special Screening selections announced on Thursday.

Tribeca Film Festival top brass announced the Spotlight section of 40 films comprising 23 narratives and 17 documentaries.

Twenty-four are world premieres, among them Monahan’s thriller Mojave, Labute’s Dirty Weekend and Henry Hobson’s zombie drama Maggie that Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions snapped up before Toronto before pulling the premiere.

Bogliano’s Here Comes The Devil follow-up Scherzo Diabolico plays in Midnight and is one of four world premieres in the five-strong genre strand.

Special Screenings include the world premiere of documentary Mary J. Blige – The London Sessions (pictured).

Work In Progress screenings include LoveTrue, the latest documentary from 2011 Best Documentary Feature Award winner Alma Har’el. Patrick Creadon, who directed 2011 entry Wordplay, will show a cut of All Work, All Play, which centres on the world of video game arena competitions.

“The Spotlight...

New work from William Monahan, Henry Hobson, Adrián García Bogliano and Neil Labute are among the Spotlight, Midnight and Special Screening selections announced on Thursday.

Tribeca Film Festival top brass announced the Spotlight section of 40 films comprising 23 narratives and 17 documentaries.

Twenty-four are world premieres, among them Monahan’s thriller Mojave, Labute’s Dirty Weekend and Henry Hobson’s zombie drama Maggie that Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions snapped up before Toronto before pulling the premiere.

Bogliano’s Here Comes The Devil follow-up Scherzo Diabolico plays in Midnight and is one of four world premieres in the five-strong genre strand.

Special Screenings include the world premiere of documentary Mary J. Blige – The London Sessions (pictured).

Work In Progress screenings include LoveTrue, the latest documentary from 2011 Best Documentary Feature Award winner Alma Har’el. Patrick Creadon, who directed 2011 entry Wordplay, will show a cut of All Work, All Play, which centres on the world of video game arena competitions.

“The Spotlight...

Getting stung by a wasp hurts, and it can be fatal for those who are allergic. But imagine if those tiny winged insects were seven feet tall—you would have to replace your EpiPen with a sword to stand a chance against a stinger that big. In Benni Diez’s Stung, two catering staffers and a group of garden partiers take on giant mutated wasps, and we have a look at the film’s new poster that’s eye-grabbing and eye-puncturing.

“Mrs. Perch, an elderly, wealthy lady from rural America, is throwing a fancy garden party at her remote country villa. Same procedure as every year – except this time her illegally imported plant fertilizer seeps into the ground. Subsequently, a local species of killer wasps that usually lay their eggs into other insects mutates into 7 ft tall predators. And the celebrating upper class company provides just the right kind of prey.

It's day 2 of the American Film Market and more poster art is presenting itself, touting upcoming films. Today, we have a look at art for Stung, a creature feature now in post-production, and Beyond Skyline, a sequel that will begin shooting soon.

In Stung, directed by Benni Diez, a fancy garden party goes terribly wrong after a local species of wasps mutate into giant predators. It’s up to Paul and Julia, two catering staffers at the high-society event, to stop the killer creatures – an effort that kick starts a budding romance between the two. Diez is making his directorial debut with a script by Adam Aresty. Jessica Cook, Matt O'Leary and Lance Henriksen star. Thanks to Twitch for the art.

The post Beyond Skyline & Stung Debut New Posters appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

We've been keeping an eye on the progress of Benni Diez's upcoming horror comedy Stung right from the beginning here at Twitch [And, full disclosure, that's been an easy thing to do given that I'm a credited exec producer on it with Xyz Films also handling international sales.] and with the film now in the final bit of post production it enters the American Film Market with a brand new sales trailer, which I sadly can't share at this point, and fantastic new poster art by Justin Erickson at Phantom City Creative, which I very definitely can. And here it is below. You can click to enlarge.A fancy garden party goes terribly wrong after a local species of wasps mutate into giant predators. It's up...

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

Early last month we brought Ulrik Bruchholz's short film Hard Boiled Cop to your attention, primarily because it starred German martial artist Mathis Landwehr. Landwehr has done loads of work in television (Lasko - The Fist of God) and short films (Kingz) back home in Germany, yet remains largely unknown on the international stage, which is a shame. Bruchholz himself is no slouch, having done a fair amount of stunt related work on films like Must Love Death, Cloud Atlas and the upcoming Xyz Films creature feature Stung (plug!). As the story goes, Bruchholz began working on a feature film back in 2008, but after three years production broke down. He took what footage he had and started piecing it together to make the climactic fight in...

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The military thriller Drones opens in cinemas and on VOD on June 27. We have been given a series of exclusive key set stills to share with you. Drones stars Eloise Mumford (50 Shades of Grey) and Matt O'Leary (the upcoming Xyz Films creature feature Stung). The thriller was directed by Rick Rosenthal (Halloween II and Halloween Resurrection) and written by Matt Witten. Two soldiers are tasked with deciding the fate of a terrorist with a single push of a button.  As the action plays out in real time, their window to use a deadly military drone on the target slowly closes. With time running out, the soldiers begin to question what the real motives are behind the ordered lethal attack.Both Rosenthal and Witten have long histories...

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

Clifton Collins Jr. is the latest actor to take part in our Q&A series and he should be no stranger to genre fans with recent roles in Pacific Rim, Hellbenders 3D, and Transcendence. In this feature, Clifton Collins Jr. talks to us about working with Johnny Depp, researching the technical singularity, his role in Stung, and his upcoming book, 101 Ways to Cook Ramen (Prison Style):

Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today. We’re big fans of your work over here and always look forward to talking with you about your latest project. What was it that initially drew you to Transcendence and the character of Martin?

Really appreciate that, nothing better than good folks who appreciate ones work! I think that’s what keeps me working as hard as I do, so thank you for that!

Johnny Depp for starters. I’ve been...

Stung is a film from production companies Rat Pack Filmproduktion and Xyz Films. The film shows some of that b-movie charm from the late '70s and '80s, where giant insects were the order of the day. In Benni Diez's first feature film, mutated insects crash an upper crust party. Also, the film stars Peter Stormare (The Big Lebowski), Clifton Collins Jr. (Tigerland), Lance Henriksen and Matt O'Leary. Now, a couple of early photos have been released for the film, since production has wrapped. The first photo (above) shows actor Matt O'Leary as Paul. He is a server at the party and he faces a monstrous creature in this still. A second photo shows actress Jessica Cook. Cook plays Julia, a waitress at the event. Julia gets a little too close to some wasp sauce, which covers her entire body. As well, a movie clip for this film was released earlier this year.