One of my favorite foreign horror films of recent vintage is Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza’s “monsters in a building” flick Rec. The Spanish film was creepy and intense and just a genuinely good time (and so much better than its American remake, Quarantine).
So, when news that the filmmakers were returning to do a sequel that picks up immediately after the first film ends, I was pretty excited. That feeling of anticipation grew with each new trailer and clip, and now comes the good news that Magnet Releasing (the genre division of Magnolia Films) is going to bring the film to America. Yes, unlike Sony, who sat on the original Rec for an eternity so it didn’t mess up the release of their subpar remake, we’ll actually be seeing Rec 2 very soon.
In typical Magnet fashion, the film will get a limited theatrical release sometime in July–but will be available through VOD services a month prior. Word on the street is that you need to see this in a theater if at all possible, but if you’re not lucky enough to live in a major metropolitan area, you’ll still be able to check it out on your home theater.
In preparation, here’s an English language trailer to get you in the mood.
I haven’t watched a Puppet Master flick in years, but that may change this June.
News hit yesterday that the newest installment in the long-running franchise, Puppet Master: Axis of Evil, will be landing on DVD this June 15th. No details on the extras (if there are any…) but here’s the plot breakdown.
In a stateside hotel during the height of World War II, young DANNY COOGAN dreams of joining the war effort. Following the murder of hotel guest Mr. Toulon by Nazi assassins, Danny finds the old man’s crate of mysterious PUPPETS and is suddenly thrust into a battle all his own. He discovers that Nazis MAX.
I’m morbidly curious about Nic Cage’s medieval horror film Season of the Witch. I can’t entirely tell you why–I mean, I love knights and horror and all of that, but it’s got Cage in the lead role and is directed by Dominic Sena…that’s two big potential strikes right there. If you forced me to think about it, I’d guess I’m interested because the idea of a group of medieval knights transporting a witch who may be singlehandedly responsible for the black plague to a mountain monastery sounds way cool to me. I picture it like the opening of Soavi’s The Church blown up into a full-length feature. I don’t believe it will be like that at all, but a guy can dream.
Anyway, the point of the post is that I guess I’ll be able to dream about what might be with Sesaon of the Witch without reality intruding because Lionsgate has yanked it off their release schedule. STYD broke the news yesterday, and their rep at Lionsgate confirmed the info–the film has been removed from its March 19th release date. Even worse news? No replacement date has been set…
No word on why the move is happening–so it’s time for everyone to play “let’s pass off my rampant speculation as fact”. I’m going to abstain–but I will say the move could be for something as simple as needing more time to clean up the finished project, looking for a better opening weekend window, or the more troubling “this movie isn’t very good–can we fix it all in post production?” I’ve no clue if it’s any of those or something different entirely. However, rest assured that once those details emerge and a new release date is set, you’ll read about it here.
One of my favorite under-the-radar films of last year was Glenn McQuaid’s I Sell the Dead. The film turned up on IFC’s VOD service, but most people missed it. I reported news earlier that it was slated to come to DVD at the end of March. Now, Dread Central has scored a look at the cover art and supplemental materials for the disc. Looks like it’s shaping up to be a nice release.
That’s the cover art above. Extras on the disc include:
Commentary with stars Dominic Monaghan and Larry Fessenden
Commentary with director Glenn McQuaid
The Making of I Sell the Dead featurette
The Visual Effects of I Sell the Dead featurette
Trailer
Check out my review if you’re on the fence about this one. I Sell the Dead hits retail on March 30th.
UK fright fans got a chance to check out The Descent Part 2 in theaters last December. Unfortunately, American audiences will have to make do with a DVD release as opposed to catching it on the big screen.
DVD Active is reporting that Lionsgate will bring Jon Harris’ sequel to Neil Marshall’s cult chiller to American home video audiences on April 27th. I’m ambivalent about this–to be honest, there are films that I don’t really need to see in a theater, and The Descent Part 2 falls squarely in that category. I’m perfectly content to watch it from my couch.
Here’s the synopsis:
Dazed, bloodied and speechless with trauma, Sarah Carter emerges alone from the Appalachian cave system where the events of THE DESCENT took place. Local sheriff Redmond Vaines forces her back underground to help the rescue team which is desperately searching for her five missing girlfriends. As the team moves deeper into the caves, Sarah’s flashes of fractured memory intensify and she begins to realizes the full horror of the would-be rescue mission. Only Sarah knows the terror which lurks in the shadows of the caves. But they are about to encounter a new tribe of crawlers, inbred, deformed and even more viciously feral than those Sarah faced before.
No word yet on what extras might be included with the disc, but I’ll keep you posted as we get closer to April 27th.
I’m morbidly curious about Nic Cage’s Season of the Witch. I like the idea of a medieval supernatural film with knights and monsters, but at the same time, it’s a Nic Cage movie. Even worse, it’s a Nic Cage movie directed by Dominic Sena, who I like to think of as “the poor man’s Michael Bay” (yeah, think about that one for a second…how’re you feeling about this movie now?). On the positive side, it does feature Ron Perlman–and I think we all love him.
If you’re still undecided about whether this flick will be worth catching in a theater or waiting for DVD, I doubt there’s anything on the new fully launched official website that’s going to change your mind. That being said, you can still swing by and have a gander at the trailer, peruse still galleries, and explore some other material related to the movie. The site’s pretty cool looking–I’ll give them that.
Season of the Witch is due out on March 19th. Here’s an official plot description from back in October…
As the Black Plague rages across 14th century Europe, one brave knight Lavey, is tasked with transporting a girl suspected of being the witch who caused the pandemic to trial. Believing she is wrongly accused, Lavey and a group of wary followers fight through a mystical and treacherous landscape to a hallowed place where her innocence can be proved and Europe’s curse can be lifted. Unbeknownst to Lavey, even darker forces await them…
Adam Green’s latest film, Frozen, generated quite a bit of buzz when it played Sundance last week. The story of kids stuck on a ski lift in the middle of nowhere seems to really connect with audiences because it seems s0 plausible. If a horror film can make an audience put themselves into the character’s situation with minimal suspension of disbelief, it’s definitely doing something right.
The film is slated for a limited theatrical release next weekend, and to get everyone in the mood, here’s the latest TV teaser advertisement. There’s no chance in Hell that Frozen will play anywhere near me, but I hope some of you get the opportunity to see it on the big screen.
Just a quick note here. If you’ve been waiting to check out the French horror film Mutants, IFC has good news for you.
The film, directed by David Morlet, will make it’s IFC Direct On Demand debut on February 10th. I haven’t seen the film yet, but I’ve heard enough to have my curiosity piqued.
Here’s the plot blurb:
“In a world devastated by a pandemic virus that turns human beings into primitive and bloodthirsty creatures, Marco and Sonia set off to find a secret base to escape from the ‘mutants’. When the latter attack them, Marco is infected. Little by little, he undergoes the same changes. Sonia, who is expecting a baby, is then forced to fight her worst enemy, the man she loves.”
We’ve known for awhile now that Magnet Releasing would be releasing George Romero’s latest zombie epic, Survival of the Dead, here in the States. What we didn’t know, before today, was when and how the division of Magnolia Films would be rolling the film out to the masses.
Fangoria has shed some light on this conundrum. According to their sources, Survival of the Dead will make its Video On Demand debut on April 30th, then hit selected theaters on May 28th. If this seems like an odd release schedule, fear not–this is the same way Magnet released last year’s surprise hit House of the Devil–and that seems to have turned out pretty well.
Here’s the plot breakdown from one of the film’s festival dates last year:
When the idyllic retreat of Plum Island falls victim to the zombie plague, a new breed of clan war breaks out. On one side is the camp who want to exterminate all undead with a wickedly diverse array of brain-splattering headshots. On the other, devoted family members take the stance that “zombie-ism” is a disease, the undead have rights and they must be kept alive until a cure is found. Unable to simply “agree to disagree,” the two clans go to war and make their island microcosm a whole hell of a lot bloodier. An undead parallel to the tribal wars that are plaguing our own society today, SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD exposes the futility of such conflict and the need for tolerance of the beliefs of others. Plus it’s got zombie horses in it!
Early reviews have been mixed, but I’m always going to be in line to check out a new Romero zombie film…
Cool news this morning for fans of adventure games with horror overtones. JoWooD Entertainment and Dreamcatcher will bring Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper to American Xbox 360 owners this March (Europe has had the game since November of 2009…). The title will be released under the banner of The Adventure Company, a label that seems to be almost single-handedly keeping this genre alive.
Here’s what gamers can expect from the title:
London, 1888. A series of horrendous murders has left a trail of blood throughout the troubled London district of Whitechapel. Nobody, nothing seems to be able to stop this brutal killer, and the population is close to panicking. Step into Sherlock Holmes’ boots and solve the most sinister case in his career! Enter the twisting, gloomy, dirty back streets of 19th Century London in order to follow the trail of the gruesome criminal whose name alone suffices to spread fear and horror. His name is … Jack.
Jack the Ripper.
Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper? I’m all over that. Check out what my fellow horror game critic Marcus Simpson thought of the title by reading his review over at Screamstress.
