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Hello all. I hope you are enjoying your Labour Day weekend. I am basically just killing time before the two-hour finale of Twin Peaks tonight, but in the meantime here are some damn good bits of genre to chew on.

Better Watch Out!

I wanted to call attention to an awesome publication that is currently taking pre-orders on IndieGogo, Spectacular Optical's Yuletide Terror. I'll let the pitch video take the floor.

Edited by Kier-La Janisse & Paul Corupe, they have been putting out quality books on film for years, including 2014's Kid Power and 2015's Satanic Panic. I am super stoked for this one, as it will have articles on some of my favourite Xmas titles, including Black Christmas & 3615: Code Pere Noël aka Game Over.

I immediately pledged when I found out that there was a perk available commemorating Ed Hunt's 1988's Christmas classic The Brain.

For more info on the campaign, click here.

Rue Morgue Turns 20.

Congratulations to Rue Morgue magazine to hitting twenty years, as their new Halloween issue hit stands recently.

It's a pretty ballin' issue with extensive articles on the history of witches on film and media as well as the terrific piece (which I also contributed to) 25 Non-Fiction Genre Film Books That Everyone Should Own. To commemorate the 20th anniversary, music editor Aaron Von Lupton compiled this sweet horror-synth playlist entitled They Came From Rue Morgue.

Here's to twenty more, Rue Morgue!

Bustin' Cape Town Style!

Check out this awesome proof-of-concept video for Michael Matthew's adaptation of the Charlie Human novel.

The comparisons to Ghostbusters and District 9 are obviously apt, but I actually got a big John Dies At The End vibe, as well. Hopefully, something larger comes from this.

Barker Bits.

In addendum to my piece on HexFest's Rawhead Rex last weekend, there was also some coverage done by the Clive Barker Podcast via correspondent Jonathan Kui. Check it out below if you wanna hear interviews with yours truly, HXFF director Aaron Allen and the full talk with Greg Lamberson that followed the movie.

If You Want It Done Right...

I'm gallivanting around Montreal right now, so no DKTM today, however I did want to call attention to a web series called Allie & Lara Make A Horror Movie. Created by Toronto-based horror mavens Larissa Thomas & Alicia Faucher, the first episode dropped a few days ago.

I dig how this turned out and the message rings true. When you're a filmmaker (or even a creator of content) it's easy to get bogged down by negativity or discouraged by those who seek to mess with your vision, so the idea that no matter what Allie & Lara (played with gusto by Maddy Foley & Heather Dicke) are going to make their vision - in this case a monster movie called Womantis - a reality is an inspiring one.

If you liked what you saw, why not contribute to their Indiegogo? The production already has a few episodes in the can, but they need some extra cash to bring the rest of their season into the world. Check it out here.

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Hello all. I got some really cool stuff to trumpet this week, so let's get right to it.

Give Them Your Monies.

First up, I wanted to plug two current IndieGogo campaigns. Ten years ago, Scott Glosserman gifted us with his little meta-slasher Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Since then, he has been trying to get a sequel off the ground and is most recently using the momentum of this anniversary to take one last stab(!) at it with a limited edition comic book series.

They are currently at 75% of their goal, so if you'd like to contribute, click here.

I also wanted to let you know that the guys behind Harvest Lake and Plank Face have a new project coming up in the tradition of the space sex comedies of yore like Beach Babes from Beyond and Earth Girls Are Easy. It is called Space Babes From Outer Space and is currently taking Blu-ray pre-orders.

To get your very own copy reserved, click here.

Clocking In With Clay.

Greg McLean's newest flick The Belko Experiment released this weekend and clay-mation guru Lee Hardcastle has celebrated the occasion with four mini-ads.

I saw this film last year at TIFF and its description of Battle Royale meets Office Space is about as apt as it gets. Check it out if you can.

Works of Art.

I just wanted to lead you out with some great art from the week. Matthew Therrien was recently commissioned to do some posters for the limited theatrical release of Julia Ducournau's Raw. 

I love that piece and would gladly put it on my wall. You can also see the two variants here. For the softcover release of Grady Hendrix's terrific book My Best Friend's Exorcism, artist Hugh Fleming was brought on to make this new cover.

I love the eighties CYOA vibe of that cover. If you haven't read the book (or Hendrix's previous work Horrorstör) you should definitely get on that!

Alright kiddies. Tomorrow is the first day of Spring and to say I am awaiting it with open arms is an understatement.

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Hello all! Canada Day weekend has been just smashing, but it's time to take a break to bring you some happenings from the world of horror. Pull up a chair - or phone browser - won't you?

The UK Brings The Fright.

While there have been a number of shockers from the Motherland of late, at least the ones coming out of Leicester Square next month will be welcome. FrightFest announced this year's line-up and it is busting at the seams with genre content.

In addition to a number of wildly anticipated titles like The Woods, Let Her Out, Beyond The Gates and 31, there also a ton of lesser known efforts from around the world on the docket. Check out these trailers below.

FrightFest runs August 25th to 29th. For more info, click here.

Like!

Here is a short film that hit the Web this week from Alex J. Mann called Me2. Enjoy!

Get Planked.

Last week, I spoke of Scott Schirmer's newest diabolical creation, Plank Face. Now, the IndieGogo pre-order campaign has been launched along with the trailer.

Twenty-five bones gets you a Limited Edition DVD, as well as the filmmakers undying love. For more info on the campaign, click here. 

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Hey all. Summer is in full swing now, and I am pleased as punch. I was running around a park downtown doing some run-and-gun filming with some friends yesterday, so it's nice to be able to kick back and relax today. Here's what's up...

What's New in Bloomington.

Scott Schirmer (Found, Harvest Lake) and his band of malevolent men (and women) known as Bandit Motion Pictures are about to hatch their newest nightmare on the world. It is a little project called Plank Face starring Nathan Barrett, Ellie Church, Brigid Macauley.

The Indiegogo campaign starts tomorrow, but these guys do crowd-funding a little differently. The production itself has already been self-funded, so the campaign is basically to take pre-orders for the Blu-ray release. It is a model that has worked for them before, and considering they've already hit 159% of their goal a day before the official campaign start date, I'd say it will again.

Plank Face welcomes you...

The trailer drops tomorrow, but you can check out the official Thunderclap page here.

That Girl.

The trailer for The Girl With All The Gifts hit the Web this week.

I've never read the book this movie was based on, but post apocalypse, zombie children and Gemma Arterton has my attention. The Girl With All The Gifts releases September 23rd in the UK.

A Semblance.

A cool new video game called Asemblance released this week. Developed by a new company out of Seattle called Nilo Studios, this episodic first-person mystery has definitely piqued by interest.

Their site says the game was inspired by The Twilight Zone, The X-Files and Black Mirror, so based on that pedigree I can't help but shell out the ten bucks just on blind curiosity. In fact, my PS4 is currently downloading it as I type this. Asemblance is also available on Steam.

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Hello all! I'm shaking off a video game hangover this morning, but here's what I've got for you today.

What's Your Pleasure, Sir?

While surfing this week, I came across a pre-order for this gorgeous little trinket from MezcoToyz.

Modelled on the Lament Configuration from Hellraiser III, this beauty boasts an apparent 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 combinations. While delivery on pre-orders won't be until the fall, a twenty-five dollar price tag (with shipping) is virtually irresistible. Click here to order your own doorway into hell.

Your Move, Creep!

I found two interesting crowd fund projects this week. The first is for Cult Screenings UK and Dead Mouse Productions' Kickstarter for the RoboCop documentary, RoboDoc.

This doc looks really great and just the pitch video makes me want to watch it again. To contribute, click here. The second is 88 Films newest Italian Collection restoration through Indiegogo, which includes the following films;

For more info on how you can make these happen, click here.

Don't Go In...

Recently, the trailer for Adam Wingard & Simon Barrett's newest collaboration, The Woods dropped online.

Judging from how much I dug You're Next and The Guest, I'm sure I can expect another wild ride. The Woods is set for release on September 16th.

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Hey everyone. I hope you're Halloween hangover isn't too bad.

I spent mine doing the important things, like watching a double bill of Halloween I & II, and taking care of some unfinished business.

For now, here's some genre morsels to chew on.

Hail To The King, Baby.

Ash Vs. Evil Dead is finally here, and here's a Variety piece where Bruce Campbell himself explains the origins and impetus for Ash's return.

I'm pretty chuffed with the pilot. It's in line with the universe that the Renaissance Boys created way back when, and Ash's inadvertent reopening of the gateway does seem like the boneheaded thing he would do. 

Submitted For Your Approval.

Toronto-based filmmaker Justin McConnell has been hard at work for a very long on his newest documentary Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business. He has compiled over eighty interviews with genre professionals, and is now looking for funds to help complete post production. Check out Justin's and co-producer Darryl Shaw's concise pitch video on what to expect from this project.

If you ask me, this is exactly the kind of documentary we need right now. With the tools being as affordable as they've ever been, a resource like this can only benefit young filmmakers seeking to dive into the shark-infested waters of the indie film business. So give what you can, by clicking here.

Disney Horror.

Artist Travis Falligant and Break.com teamed up to give us these horror re-imaginings of our favourite Disney princesses.

Check out this link to see the rest, it's some pretty great stuff.

Horrors Worth Your Monies.

Hey all. I thought I'd just post something quick on the cusp of the weekend, as there are a couple of horror crowdfunding projects on the go right for which I wanted to draw your attention.

Wacky Canadian filmmaker Justin Decloux (director of 2014's Teddy Bomb and one-half of the Loose Cannons podcast) is currently fundraising for his next project, Impossible Horror. Created by Decloux & Emmy Milling, the project is a horror comedy “about being creative, grappling with the fear of the unknown and kicking supernatural ass.” These are all things I like! But, let them tell you in their own words.

To hit up the IndieGogo page, click here. There are still nine days left, so go over to help make the impossible possible.

Meanwhile, over at Kickstarter, director Elias Ganster is trying to get his latest feature off the ground. Ayla looks like it comes from an extremely personal place and should make for some really compelling material. Check out the pitch video below.

There are still a few weeks to contribute, so if you'd like to get more info, click here for the campaign page.

And with that, have a great weekend, you crazy cats!

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Hey everyone. It's been a lazy weekend chock full of Netflix, but here are some weekly horrors to keep up the routine.

New York Horrors.

Did you know that New York is home to over seven-hundred horror movie locations? Well, filmmaker Ted Geoghegan (whose debut We Are Still Here just hit VOD this weekend) is currently putting together, with the help of resident New Yorker and Fangoria editor Michael Gingold, a tome that catalogues all such locations.

Past horrors have included flicks helmed by the likes of Lucio Fulci, Roman Polanski, Larry Cohen and Ivan Reitman. Click the image above to check out a cheat sheet of seven classic genre locations in The Big Apple.

Creeper.

I'm a big fan of The Duplass Brothers and it looks like they've returned to the horror well after 2008's Baghead with the SXSW selection Creep. Here's the trailer.

Sure, it just seems like simple found footage, but I can already tell from the trailer that this could be a really intense yarn. The film releases on iTunes later this month.

Fatal Frames.

A few weeks back, I posted about some cool gaming technology called Night Terrors. By using their phone app, you can interact with any environment via augmented reality. This week, they released a second trailer, which you can see below.

The IndieGogo campaign is still going, and you can pre-order the app for just five dollars. Night Terrors is set to release in January of next year.

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Oh my God, what is going on around here? There was a fucking FROST warning on Friday night!!! Can you believe this shit? Other than that though, it's been a pretty interesting weekend of people-watching followed by trashing an old house for a music video, so I can't complain too much. As for news, here's what I've got for you.

The Devil's Work.

Last year, I posted about a great little book called Kid Power!, a collection of articles about past cult kids movies & television from all around the world put out by Spectacular Optical. Now, Toronto-based cinephiles Kier-La Janisse & Paul Corupe are gearing up to release their new venture, Satanic Panic: Pop Culture Paranoia in the 80's.

For those of us who grew up in the eighties, you'll remember how some religious groups rebelled against horror films and role-playing games. Or basically anything cool really? This nonsense even leaked into mainstream press, back when religion seemed to have more of a hold on such things.

Anyway, to cover the printing costs and design fees, the publishers have for our help via an IndieGogo page. For a measly twenty dollars (plus S&H) you can own your very own copy when it releases this summer.

Though the book delves into many facets of pop culture, some of the exciting film related articles include a look at heavy metal and devil worship in cult cinema (by Samm Deighan), home video and the proliferation of satanic panic (by Wm. Conley) and a look at paranoia as cosmic catharsis via 1989's The Burbs (by Kurt Halfyard).

To contribute to the campaign, go here.

The Art of It Follows.

One thing that I've been really impressed with subsequent to the release of It Follows is all the fan art it has inspired. And it is not going unnoticed. For the UK home video release, the distributor Icon decided to have a vote to determine which fan contributed art would be printed on the reverse sleeve of the release. Here were the finalists;

Art by Richie Beckett

Art by Travis Galliant

Art by Trevor Henderson

Art by Vincent Roche

Of course I'm partial to my buddy Trevor's, but I can't deny that Beckett's is pretty fuckin' crackin. It Follows releases in the UK on Blu-ray on June 29th and the domestic release is set for July 14th.

Trailer Trash.

Here are a couple of trailers that popped up this week. First is the teaser for Jessica Cameron's lesbian love story Mania.

Blood, lesbians and Tristan Risk. An easy sell if you ask me. The second is for Jonathan Milott & Cary Murnion's Cooties.

I'm glad to see this has resurfaced, as it seemed to all but disappear after its premiere at last year's Sundance Film Festival (yes that 2014, not 2015). Perhaps the whole 'it's ok to kill kids if they're zombies' loophole wasn't initially airtight enough for Lionsgate to put it out. Even the actual release in September seems a little tentative, but hopefully TWC's decision to spring for some theatres instead of just dumping It Follows onto VOD has started a trend.

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Hey gang, hope you're having a good weekend and were able to get out and catch It Follows. If not, well... Anyhoo, here's what's been going on otherwise.

X-Files Reopened.

Huge news this week, as it was announced that FOX is bringing back my favourite show of all time, The X-Files for a six-episode run. Not only that, but both David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will be returning as the inimitable Mulder & Scully.

I'm excited about this, which is weird as just a few years ago, when the second film came out, I felt like the show had run its course. Duchovny had re-branded himself with a new show, Californication and Anderson was on hiatus (in that she was nowhere near as visible as she has become in the last few years with roles on Hannibal and The Fall), so along with the second film not being as strong as it should have been, I was of the mind that they should just close up shop and move on.

David Duchovny & Gillian Anderson as FBI Special Agents Mulder & Scully

Now I'm not so sure. With the return of Twin Peaks on the horizon, this somehow feels right. And with a run of six episodes, they've got time to a nice, well conceived arc. So, I'm back in. No announcement has been made about timeline, but one can expect Mulder & Scully to be back sometime in 2016.

The Man In Black.

Slender: The Arrival released this week on various platforms.

It looks super creepy, but I wonder if the experience is better served by watching people play it via YouTube, rather than actually playing it yourself (like its predecessor Slender: The Eight Pages). I still have to smile when I think how a SA Photoshop meme became a modern urban legend phenomenon. It just further goes to show that the World Wide Web has become the new campfire.

The Void is Growing.

Disciples rejoice! The Lovecraft-inspired horror project from Astron 6 members Steven Kostanski & Jeremy Gillespie, The Void has reached its funding goal of $50,000.

It's rather incredible that it took in the back half of that amount in the last week after landing on a couple of well-trafficked sites like Cracked.com. I couldn't be happier for these guys, for not only that they now have the funds to truly make the film they want to make, but also that the horror community got behind them so definitively. 

One of the many horrors that await us...

Part of that is obviously due to the project being awesome, but they also have some really great perks available, including posters from the best artists working in the biz, Astron 6 soundtracks and even interesting ways to become involved in the production.

Having now met their goal with still over a week to go, the production team have now introduced some stretch goals, which you can check out here.

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Good afternoon all. While I nurse this hangover with a large dose of couch, let me serve you up some new morsels from the world of horror.

Spring Is In The Air.

This week, the campaign for Red Spring went up on IndieGogo. This post-apocalyptic vampire tale is actor/writer Jeff Sinasac's (a real class act I've had the pleasure of working with several times) baby and he needs your help to raise the remaining funds to make this project a reality. Here below is the concept trailer and Jeff's pitch video.

Based on Jeff & Tom's track record, this should be quite something, so please, donate what you can or at least pass along the link to get the word out. Click here to see the campaign page.

Still Here. Tonight.

Ted Geoghegan's debut film We Are Still Here starring Barbara Crampton has its world premiere at SXSW this evening. Check out this sweet poster.

Hopefully, this makes its way to a festival near me soon.

Bad Breakup.

If you're in the mood for a cool short, here's one from Andrés Borghi called Alexia.

I think this would make a good pairing with the upcoming film Unfriended (formerly Cybernatural), as their sense of the here and now seems really fresh to me.

Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Enter The Void

On this glorious Friday, I want to bring your attention to an important IndieGogo campaign. As some of you may know, Canadian gore gurus Steve Kostanski & Jeremy Gillespie's newest project is a dark little nightmare called The Void. Unlike their previous works with Astron 6, their intention here is straight up horror. Think stuff like Silent Hill and Event Horizon by way of H.P. Lovecraft and John Carpenter.

You may be thinking, hey The Void is going to camera this summer, why do they need more money? Well, that is a good question, with an even better answer. But I'll let these two maniacs lay it out for you themselves.

It basically comes down to these guys being able to properly deliver their warped vision with no compromises. If you've seen their previous work, you know that resources are basically the only thing holding these guys back - and barely even then.

So, take a trip over to the campaign page here and contribute. There's a ton of great perks available and you can take pride in knowing you helped make The Void's creatures come to life in all their splattered, sinewy glory. Welcome to the fold!

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Hello all! I'm hitting my first Escape Room in a few hours, so I'll be brief. Here's what I've got for you this week.

Kosovo-A-GoGo.

For years, a Toronto fixture has been a midnight marathon called Shock & Awe put on my cinephile Dion Ventress. Now, having worked in film and television production for years, he has now begun his latest endeavour - directing not only his first horror feature, but the first ever shot in Kosovo. But he needs your help. Here's the teaser below.

Dion's a cool cat, with an encyclopedic knowledge of cult film and all things weird, so if there's anybody I'd like to see make a film, it's him. Check out the IndieGogo page here.

Midnight, Park City, 2015.

This week, Sundance announced the slate of Midnight films screening this January. It looks like there are some doozies here.

Last year, Park City rocked the house with The Babadook. In 2015, it looks like Irish director Corin Hardy is set to bring similar scares in The Hallow, about a man who must protect his family after awakening evil beings during a agricultural survey. And it has Michael Smiley. I love that guy!

Corin Hardy's The Hallow

Rodney Ascher, who brought us the fascinating documentary Room 237 last year, is back with another doc/horror hybrid called The Nightmare. This one visually explores the terrifying affliction of night terrors and sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight subjects.

Eli Roth returns with a new thriller starring Keanu Reeves called Knock Knock about a married man set upon by two mischievous young girls - one of which is Ana de Armas from Blind Alley, so...

Lorenza Izzo, Keanu Reeves & Ana de Armas in Knock Knock.

What began as a ABC's of Death contest submission in 2011 has now become a feature film. This Canadian/New Zealand co-production, which looks like a wonderful marriage between Astron 6 and Peter Jackson, will finally see the light of day in Utah this January. Here's where it all started below.

To see the rest of Sundance 2015's recently announced lineup, check out The Wrap's rundown here.

Killer Comic.

I heard about this cool looking upcoming comic on Bloody Disgusting this week. Dark Horse will begin running a comic called Lady Killer next month.

The “Betty Draper meets Hannibal” thing is all I pretty much need to know. Although from the preview pages here, it looks more like “Draper meets The Professional” would have been more apt. Unless of course, she's eating her targets! Whichever. I'm in!