The Rotting Zombie's News Double Bill for Tuesday 15th August 2023

With Catholic themed metroidvania horror video game Blasphemous getting a sequel towards the end of this month, I decided to give it another playthrough. In the time since I last played it has had a whole host of extras added to it, including new areas, extended areas, new boss fights, new items, new quests, as well as a new third ending. Best of all, all of that was added for free, which felt refreshing. Onwards to the news.

Hex Media Ltd has announced the release of its latest film, The Vance Institute which is directed by Lawrie Brewster (The Devil's Machine, Lord of Tears). The screenplay for this was done by David Joshua Laurence and Tom Malloy, who also are among the cast, which also includes Hannah New (Black Sails), Megan Tremethick, Courtney Warner, and Gordon Holliday. In the film, the attendees of a spiritual retreat find themselves victims of Tobin Vance, a man who coerces his patients to take part in deadly trials.
The Vance Institute is the UK version of Trauma Therapy: Psychosis with notable differences between the two films, with the US/International version being re-edited and including a short segment featuring the late Tom Sizemore, something that Brewster views as exploitative. The Vance Institute is available from Hex Media Ltd's store, and will soon come to Amazon Video On Demand.

The second of the two news stories for today is about comedic horror film Night of the Insolent Vermin which is now available from Bayview Entertainment. Directed by Gary DeJidas, and starring Kayla Strada, Jaydelise Volquez, and Anna Faith. A group of female friends decide to take shelter together when a huge hurricane comes to Florida. Unluckily for them, the storm has supernatural powers that affects people and insects alike, turning them deadly. After central Florida is put under martial law, the girls decide it is up to them to head out and save the state. It at least does something a little different with its trailer.