There are a few changes I have noticed during this pandemic of a year when it comes to my blog. First is that I am getting nowhere near the amount of screeners I would usually get. That isn't a bad thing at all as it has meant I can watch films of my own choosing. The second thing I've noticed this year is that I am getting a lot more news sent to my inbox, it has been so full these past few months that I am contemplating on splitting my usual monthly round-up blog post in half. If I could I would dedicate each item of news to its own post, but I just don't have the free time for that. If I ever win the lottery and can do my blog full time then that is the path I would take!
I didn't expect it, but it turns out a new Scream film is going to be made. Neve Campbell is going to be returning to the franchise to reprise her role as Sidney Prescott. The series has had a checkered past for me, I loved the first one, the second started good but fell apart, the third was ok, and the fourth completely forgettable. Also returning are David Arquette and Courtney Cox, new cast members include Jack Quaid (The Boys), Melissa Barrera (In The Heights), and Jenna Ortega (You). The film is due to release in January 2022. The film is to be directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett of the filmmaking group Radio Silence (Ready or Not, V/H/S) from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man).
Tri Coast Worldwide have acquired Sweet Taste of Souls. This is about four struggling band members who find themselves imprisoned in a deranged cafe owners art collection. I have a screener of this one, and so closer to Halloween I shall be checking this out to see if the film lives up to its crazed synopsis. Meanwhile, check out the trailer.
HNN Presents horrors
Master Pieces and
Me and the Devil are now available on DVD from
Bayview Entertainment. The very strange
Master Pieces is a comedy slasher about a deranged artist, I said in my review it is a film you will either hate or love, and regardless is something different to the norm.
Me and the Devil comes from Dario Almerighi (
42-66: The Origin of Evil) and features 'a dark story of madness, pain and love'. Both can be purchased from
Amazon.
Also from HNN Presents are Psycho Therapy and Keeping Rosy. The former is about a therapist who turns into a killer, the later is a British psycho-thriller about a business executive whose life spirals into violence. Both films are due out on DVD on October 20th.
Previously mentioned
Last American Horror Show Vol II has released a new trailer. This anthology stars among others Mel Novak (Bruce Lee's
Game of Death), Helene Udy (
Mrs. Claus) and Maria Olsen (
Paranormal Activity 3). The synopsis has a child murderer on death row who gets befriended by a man called Moses (Novak). The man decides to read the killer a few stories from his favourite book.
I believe I mentioned this also in a previous news post,
Christmas Slasher currently has a
Indiegogo campaign running to get funds for its creation. The film features an undead reindeer and a killer Mr. and Mrs. Claus on the hunt for a bunch of college kids. This is the creation of Destiny Soria, someone who in my personal experience seemed to be infectiously enthusiastic about horror. The film is going to include Felissa Rose (
Sleepaway Camp), Lloyd Kaufman (
The Toxic Avenger), Nicholas Brendon (
Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Carlos Ramirez (
The Human Centipede 3), and Shaw C. Phillips (a trillion different indie films) among its cast. The campaign at the time of writing has been a success but is still running for a further 32 days, so head
here to find out more.
Ebola Rex is now available on VOD and DVD. This dinosaur horror stars Mel Novak as is about a T-Rex that escapes from a lab after being injected with the Ebola Virus at a 'Dino Lives Matter' protest. Check out the trailer.
FoxTrot Productions have announced a crowdfunder campaign for
Casting Couch Slaughter. This is a feature length comedy horror from directors Emir Skalonja and Krystal Shenk. The synopsis is that two porn directors hoping to make the greatest porno ever get their plans ruined by a drill wielding maniac who invades the set. The film is hoped to be finished in time for Halloween, the
Indiegogo campaign is to get funds to give the film a final edit, and production of DVDs and other stuff. There is 47 days left on the campaign but it is currently at 96% of the goal, so it seems this will be successful. Check out the campaign page
here for more details.
Dystopian Films are launching an anthology made up of 50 different shorts, titled
The United States of Horror. The ambitious remit is that each of the shorts will be made in a different American state. A
Indiegogo campaign is currently running mainly to raise awareness rather than raise funds. The DVD can also be pre-ordered on the page (
here).
Onto music news now and Chaoseum have released their new music video for their track 'Stick Under my Skin'. The Swiss band are made up of four friends. The band 'delivers an electric and energetic punch of metalcore, with powerful vocals, strong characterisation through theatrical performance, and an eye-catching band image'. On 25th September Chaoseum's second album, Second Life was released, and the band will be back touring in October 2021 in Europe.
Gothic singer Elle Noir has revealed the new video for her track 'The Day I Died'. The song is a metaphor for emotional death 'it tells of a world where nothing has value anymore, which is also an inner world given by mental states like depression'.
Finally some zombie book news.
Seeds of the Dead is a zombie apocalypse novel that takes place in small-town America. After scientist Peter Malik discovers the company he works for is working on a new strain of genetically modified food with shady side effects he threatens to let the world know. In retaliation the company contaminates Peter's hometown, turning the populace into flesh hungry ghouls. It is up to Peter to try try to save his town, the people he loves, and to warn the rest of the world what has happened. Seeds of the Dead is written by Andy Kumpon and Gary Malick and can be purchased from
Amazon. I shall be giving this a read soon, so a review will drop at some point this side of Christmas.
Just in time for release comes some late news items. Firstly, there is a
Kickstarter going for supernatural mockumentary
Ghost Crew. This is going to be the feature debut of Tom Staunton (who previously directed two shorts for
Hex Studio's portmanteau film
For We Are Many). This film is to be set in the 1990's and is about two filmmakers who head to an abandoned children's hospital that is rumoured to curse anyone who dares enter. Staunton and Michael Brewster are going to be in the starring roles which makes things a bit meta. The press release states 'On the surface, the film is
Nightcrawler meets
Paranormal Activity...inspired by independent horrors that get under the skin, like
Ring,
Lake Mungo,
Noroi: The Curse and
Candyman.' For more details check out the
Kickstarter page
here.
Finally (for real this time) is news that Paramount's satirical comedy Spontaneous is due to be released on 12th October. This bizarre coming of age love story takes place at a high school where students begin inexplicably exploding! This stars Katherine Langford (Cursed, 13 Reasons Why) as Mara, and Charlie Plummer (Looking for Alaska) as Dylan, two students who 'struggle in a world where each moment may be their last'. This also features Yvonne Orji (Insecure), Hayley Law (Riverdale), Rob Huebel (Transparent) and Piper Perabo (Penny Dreadful: City of Angels). This will be available on a variety of digital platforms.