Latest in Horror - All's Happening at the Horror Front

[Sick_As_Fuck]

Holy christ, I haven't been as excited as I am for Halloween in who knows how long.

[_____V_____]

Versus-director Kitamura talks Clive Barker's Midnight Meat Train

After blasting Japan with handful of fantastic films (Versus, Alive, Godzilla 2000) Ryuhei Kitamura talks a bit about why he chose to come make an American film now. " I was looking for the right project for the past couple years," he continues, "I read 50-60 scripts and I knew I'd have to be very picky about it, something I could put my stamp on it and make it my movie. I was looking but couldn't find it and was actually desperate last year."

Kitamura says that the reason he picked this Clive Barker project is because he picked up the original Japanese book back in 1987 and has been a fan for over 20 years. “I read it and was surprised, it was good,” he remembers.

With Hideo Nakata (The Ring Two) and Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge, The Grudge 2) making slow, atmospheric films, what made [b]Kitamura want to do a gore film? "What's the point in doing something similar to someone else? I am not interested in that idea."

Another thing Kitamura talked a bit about was planning for the future and more sequels, especially since they have an iconic new horror character, "[The] first conversation I had with Clive [Barker] was about this... [we had to] keep in mind this endless world of Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Pinhead, Ash, Leatherface - that’s it," he continues, "after them I don’t need any new super cool horror icons, Jeepers Creepers a little, but I don’t keep on buying." So what he's trying to say is that there aren't many horror icons and they needed to find something special for him, which is creating a special look and weapon, "For 20 years we don’t have this new horror icon. We talk a lot about what costume he'll be wearing, what weapon he (Mahogany) has. Clive and I designed a custom hammer for him."

When creating a new horror icon, you have to be thinking sequel, "if it came up (a sequel) and was good," he tells, "but I don’t like doing the same thing again and again. If I do a sequel I'd need something new to the storyline."

Watch out for MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN in 2008.



"Friday the 13th" remake coming in 2009?

Platinum Dunes is aiming to get their remake of Friday the 13th in theaters by 2009.

This film's life may depend on how well Rob Zombie's Halloween does at the end of the month, so fingers crossed.

No word on whether Jonathan Liebesman is still attached to the project, but its heard that they're not using Mark Wheaton's story.

Watch for the return of Jason Voorhees and his mother in 2009!



Raimi, Hartnett talk about "30 Days of Night"

Ghost House producer Sam Raimi talked a bit about his interest in acquiring 30 DAYS OF NIGHTS for the big screen, "I think it started with Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith’s incredible graphic novel. I love the original take on the vampires they illustrated. These guys have created a unique and very rich mythology for them. I really liked learning about them and I wanted to know more."

Star Josh Hartnett chimed in with his thoughts on the graphic novel, "I read the graphic novel and spoke to director David Slade on the phone… really the biggest sell for me were the people involved," he continues, "I am going to get shot for saying this but I have never really read a lot of comic books, but I flipped through this one and I saw that the visuals were astounding, and with the help of David, and the visuals, [I knew] this would be a spectacular film." In addition to the comic book blowing his mind, he really dug the screenplay, "The script was great… what it would be like in a situation where you have no escape and you are being hunted…you are in conflict the entire time, and there is no logical way of getting out of it. I have always liked horror films and vampire films, yet I haven’t found a thing for me that had the right element, until this one."

Writer/Creator Steve Niles talked a bit about adapting his own story, "For me they gave me a first shot on the screenplay…it’s been great, everyone has kept me in the loop pretty much through the entire process. I felt really attached to it, pretty much since I first met David I knew it would be in good hands."

Niles also chatted a bit about making vampires scary again, "Something that Ben [Templesmith] and I went through when we were making the comic is that vampires aren’t scary anymore," he replies, "They hang out with you; teenage girls date them on TV. We had to strip away all that and use the idea that a creature that looks very much like us, yet look at us like cattle…like food. That is something we really wanted to do… make actual frightening vampires again."

Director David Slade adds to this, "I can make these vampires anything I want them to be," he explains, "my ambition was to make a truly terrifying film, fusing the fantasy and beautifully drawn things and the gritty terrifying thing."

Star Ben Foster loves vampires, in fact you might say he has a fetish, "I have a great vampire fetish. When I was going to the comic book store about two years ago and I found this book, I bought it and I ended up buying several copies of it for friends. It was something that really turns me on. David calls and says I think I have some thing for you called 30 Days of Night.. So I go GREAT!!" Although he jokes, "he wouldn’t let me be a vampire!"

Sam Raimi concluded with a bold statement, "I have never seen a better vampire film. It’s rare that you come across a great graphic novel, in the field of horror, at least I never had. It was wonderful refreshing and thrilling to come across Steve Niles and this property!"

30 DAYS OF NIGHT hits theaters on October 19, 2007.



"Painkiller" video-game being adapted for the big-screen

Guy Walks Into a Bar (Starship Dave) has decided to go to purgatory, acquiring feature rights to the videogame Painkiller from DreamCatcher Interactive.

Game centers on a character stranded between heaven and hell who's forced to become a pawn in the battle between good and evil.

"Painkiller" first bowed for play on PCs as a first-person-shooter game in 2004, and was followed up by "Painkiller: Hell Wars" for the Xbox in 2006.

DreamCatcher's planning to release a sequel to the original soon.



Guillermo Del Toro set to produce "The Changeling" remake

Director extraordinairre Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy) will produce Rogue Pictures' The Changeling, the long-delayed remake of the classic George C. Scott film from 1979.

The film, which inspired The Ring, follows a man who is haunted in his mansion by the ghost of a girl.

The screenplay for the remake was written by Paul Haggis and Dave Kajganich, although no word yet on if their draft will be used.



Award winning "The Other Side" set for US theatrical and DVD release

The US distribution rights to the crowd-pleasing action/thriller The Other Side were snapped up this past week for an undisclosed amount by Allumination Filmworks, who will be handling the domestic theatrical and DVD distribution of the movie. Bleiberg Entertainment has acquired the film rights for the movie’s foreign distribution.

Allumination Filmworks will release the film in select theatres this year.

Written/Directed by Gregg Bishop and Produced by Chad Eikhoff, The Other Side is a low-budget, Atlanta-made feature about a man who escapes from Hell to find the person who killed him, but is hunted by a team of Reapers - invincible, gun toting madmen - who are sent from the Netherworld to bring him back.

The film stars Nathan Mobley from Yesterday Was a Lie and Jaimie Alexander, who stars as Jessi XX on ABC’s hit show Kyle XY.

A film festival favorite, The Other Side premiered in competition to sold-out crowds and rave reviews at the Slamdance Film Festival and won the Grand Jury Award for Best Feature Film at ShriekFest. The film also swept the awards at IFFYNTX (Independent Film Festival of North Texas) winning Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Actor (Nathan Mobley).

Variety called The Other Side “a lean, propulsively paced supernatural thriller, packed with pulse pounding excitement.”

Scott Weinberg of eFilmCritic.com calls it “fast paced, creative and entertaining. A solid handful of unexpected surprises.”

SciFi Dimensions raves “an impressive feature length debut. Gregg Bishop may be the next big thing in horror movies.”

John Koenig of Dark Romance says that “this movie blew my mind! It’s like a blazing gunfight on a demonic roller coaster ride!”

Steve Biodrowski of Hollywoood Gothique says that The Other Side “may be the El Mariachi of horror movies” and hailed it as “one of the best films of the year.”

“The response this movie has received has exceeded our expectations in every way,” says Bishop. “We are thrilled that the film will be released theatrically and that the movie will be available to audiences everywhere”. Eikhoff adds, “we made The Other Side as a non-stop thrill ride and are looking forward to audiences having the chance to experience it theatrically and on DVD.”



(References - bloody-disgusting.com, movies.yahoo.com, variety.com, hollywoodreporter.com, aintitcool.com, iesb.net, blackfilm.com, latimes.com, impawards.com)

[_____V_____]

"Return to Castle Wolfenstein" finally coming to the big screen

It was revealed a long while back that one of the Wolfenstein video games, specifically Return to Castle Wolfenstein, was going to be the next game adapted to the big screen. After the release of Universal's piece 'o crap Doom, things sort of hit a stand-still, that is until now. Roger Avary is back again as he will write the adaptation, which is great news if you're a fan of Silent Hill!

Producer Samuel Hadida has secured the rights, with Roger Avary attached to write and direct the adaptation of the ID Software property.

This project reteams Avary with Hadida after he penned company’s horror pic “Silent Hill.”

The WWII-set “Return to Castle Wolfenstein” revolves around U.S. Army Ranger B.J. Blazkowicz, who leads a team of agents into Castle Wolfenstein in order to investigate the Nazis’ SS Paranormal Division.

Project had previously been set up with Mark Gordon at Sony before the rights to the game reverted back to ID Software.

Hadida’s becoming a prolific producer of vidgame adaptations, with “Resident Evil: Extinction,” the third installment in the franchise, bowing Sept. 21. Last year, he produced the horror pic “Silent Hill,” based on the game. A sequel’s planned. He also has “Onimusha” in the works with Christophe Gans attached to direct.

Avary most recently adapted Robert Zemeckis’ take on “Beowulf,” which Paramount opens Nov. 16. He previously penned “Pulp Fiction,” “The Rules of Attraction” and “Killing Zoe.”

“I’ve been playing the character of B.J. Blazkowicz since the epic ‘Wolfenstein 3D’ first bruised my brain and have ever since wanted to bring his adventures to life on the bigscreen,” Avary said. “It’s time to bust some dams, storm some bunkers and blow up some bridges.”

ID Software’s other titles include the first-person shooters “Doom” and “Quake.” Another “Wolfenstein” game is in development.



Vinnie Jones still in "Midnight Meat Train"

Today Lionsgate released the second image from their adaptation of Clive Barker's Midnight Meat Train, which features star Vinnie Jones doing more sitting.

The story features a commuter's run-in with a New York subway serial killer and a horde of subterranean cannibals. The movie is set for a 2008 release.

The stills and the official poster can be viewed here.



(References - bloody-disgusting.com, variety.com, myspace.com, aintitcool.com)

[Doc Faustus]

Anybody see the 30 Days of Night trailer yet? Looks really cool.

[_____V_____]

Originally Posted by Doc Faustus

Anybody see the 30 Days of Night trailer yet? Looks really cool.

Originally Posted by _____V_____

30 Days of Night (coming on October 19, 2007) (Very Interesting)

Originally Posted by _____V_____

Extreme new red band 30 Days of Night trailer. (looks really bloody and awesome)

Remember to click on 'Restricted Content - 18 and Over Only'.

Yep...it sure kicks ass. I wait eagerly for this one to release.:cool:

[Kane_Hodder]

Midnight Meat Train sounds promising, and in the lines of Creep. Looks like Kitamura and Barker have a real winner on their hands.

[_____V_____]

Casting finalised for Shyamalan's "The Happening"

Betty Buckley (Carrie), Robert Bailey Jr., Spencer Breslin (Zoom, The Kid), Jeremy Strong, Frank Collison (The Village, Suspect Zero) and Victoria Clark (Cradle Will Rock) will round out the cast of M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening, which goes behind the lens in Philadelphia next week. They join the previously announced Mark Wahlberg, Zoey Deschanel, John Leguizamo and Ashlyn Sanchez.

The pic, which will mark Shyamalan's first R-rated effort, is a paranoid thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity.

Check it out on June 13, 2008.



Poster released for MGM's "Pathology"

ComicCon was the venue for the debut of the teaser poster for MGM's Pathology, which stars Milo Ventimiglia, Alyssa Milano, Lauren Lee Smith, Johnny Whitworth, Keir O'Donnell, Michael Weston and Mei Melancon.

Written by Neveldine and Taylor, the story centers on a young intern (Ventimiglia) who is studying pathology at Philadelphia's University Hospital and encounters an attractive but murderous group of colleagues who have devised a deadly game to see who among them can commit the perfect murder, while the others compete to determine the cause of death.

Take a peek at it here.



Paul Schneider completes "The Wall" production

Production has wrapped on thriller-horror pic "The Wall," produced by Michael Grais, Gavin Wilding and Paul Pope.

Lindy Booth ("Dawn of the Dead") stars along with Lawrence Dane, Suzie Pollard and James Thomas.

Story concerns a woman who returns to her small town in Maine after she learns that local realtors want to develop the land that includes the lighthouse in which she grew up and where her mother was murdered; her father was convicted of the crime.

The pic, penned by Michael Bafaro and Anna Singer, is directed by Paul Schneider ("Cries in the Dark").

Grais' writing and producing credits include both "Poltergeist" films.



Wicker Man companion gets ready to roll in Scotland and Texas

The long-awaited Wicker Man re-imagining/companion piece is finally about to get underway. Tentatively titled Cowboys for Christ, from writer/director Robin Hardy (the original “Wicker Man”), the movie has set itself a September 10 start date and has booked locales in Scotland and Texas to shoot.

Starring Christopher Lee and Faye Dunaway, the film tells of a Christian singing star and her chaste fiance, a Texas cowboy, who travel to Scotland for a music festival that is merely the curtain-raiser for a horrific pagan ritual of sacrifice and murder, and it's uncertain if the power of the Americans' Christian faith will be strong enough to survive the assault of the pagans.



New Regency bringing vampires and zombies from Afghanistan

New Regency is taking the current wave of films set amid the war and terrorism in the Middle East and adding a twist: vampires and zombies. It's optioned the Virgin Comics title Virulents and set John Moore ("The Omen") to direct the adaptation.

The movie will be distributed by 20th Century Fox.

The story, to be adapted by John Cox ("Sergeant Rock"), revolves around a ragtag group of soldiers who search for a lost patrol in Afghanistan. The soldiers, some from an American military unit, some from an Indian military unit, stumble into a nest of vampire zombies.

It will be produced by Gotham Chopra and Sharad Devarajan of Virgin Comics, along with Seth Jaret and Moore.



"Ronin" producers aiming it big with "Ocean"

Hollywood Gang's Gianni Nunnari and Nick Wechsler have teamed to option screen rights to Ocean, a graphic novel by Warren Ellis that is a template for a big-scale alien thriller.

Nunnari and Wechsler will produce, and Craig J. Flores is exec-producing.

The story concerns the thousands of coffins containing angel-like bodies, and a giant weapon of mass destruction, discovered by a scientist on Jupiter's ice-covered moon Europa. A U.N. weapons inspector sent to investigate uncovers a chilling secret about the history of humanity.

Nunnari produced "300," based on the Frank Miller graphic novel, and he recently teamed with Wechsler to produce the Miller title "Ronin" at Warner Bros., with Sylvain White ("Stomp the Yard") directing. Wechsler called the graphic novel "an alien thriller with a fresh take on the origin of man."



Skinny Puppy lead singer to sing opera in Bousman's "Repo!"

Nivek Ogre (aka Kevin Graham Ogilvie) - the lead singer of the band "Skinny Puppy" - is in final talks to star in Darren Lynn Bousman's hotly anticipated horror-musical, Repo! The Genetic Opera, which begins production September 10 in Toronto, Canada.

He joins Alexa Vega, Bill Moseley, Paul Sorvino and the luscious Paris Hilton.

"Repo!" focuses on a cruel entrepreneur who creates genetically perfect organs that everybody needs in 2056, and who is content to send in a repo man if the recipient can't make payments.

Lionsgate will release this unique blend of genres in theaters on April 25, 2008.



"Hellraiser" remake - happening or not happening

One remake that might never get off the ground is the one-time full-speed ahead Hellraiser redo. Creator Clive Barker says that nobody seems to know whether Pinhead will return to the silver screen or not.

“I have waited for a long time to see somebody give me a clue. You know, “Are we doing this or are we not doing this?” “Is it happening or is it not happening?” Nobody seems to know and I’m not going to hold my breath while I wait, because it’s frustrating”, says Barker. “I’m very lucky, I’ve got control over a lot of my artistic life. I’ve got control over my movies. I’ve got control over my books. I’m sorry, I don’t have control over my movies, but I do have control of my paintings and of my books.”

The original "Hellraiser," which spawned umpteen sequels, was released in 1987. It still holds up quite well.

So no, it doesn't need to be remade.




(References - variety.com, bloody-disgusting.com, davisdvd.com, hollywoodreporter.com, moviehole.net, movies.yahoo.com, movies.aol.com, aintitcool.com)

[Davids]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

The original "Hellraiser," which spawned umpteen sequels, was released in 1987. It still holds up quite well.

So no, it doesn't need to be remade.

Could not agree more!

[_____V_____]

First batch of exclusive Diary of the Dead photos can be seen here :-

http://www.fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=4776

[Sick_As_Fuck]

Am I the only one who finds "Hellraiser" to be vastly over-rated?

Also, any other links to the TV-MA trailer of "30 Days Of Night"? I entered my info and it still wouldn't let me watch. So gay.