One monster mash that has the horror fanbase pretty divided is the 2008 destruction-a-thon Cloverfield. Ever since the movie stomped through cinemas, there's been talk of a sequel. Finally director Matt Reeves has offered an update on the sequel's status.

In an interview with MTV at SXSW, Reeves said, "I can tell you nothing, [but] there are these spikes in activity. There are things that we keep talking about and things spike up. It very well may happen."

So there you have it, folks! Spikes in activity. Said spikes usually lead to hysteria about the world spinning off of its axis, volcanos erupting, and yes, giant monsters walking the Earth.

We can only hope.

- Uncle Creepy

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The first official footage from Nimrod Antal's Predators debuted online today over at the official newly launched Predators website, and the fun's just starting!

The new site features a teaser poster, a look at a "Predator Hound", and finally the full synopsis. If that isn't enough, there's even a special behind-the-scenes clip that you can dig on below. The site also teases a March 18th launch for the official trailer so stay tuned. Dig it! Look for the film in theatres July 9th.

Synopsis
"Predators, a bold new chapter in the Predator universe, shot under the creative auspices of Robert Rodriguez, stars Adrien Brody as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet... as prey. With the notable exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers - mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members - human "predators" that are now being systematically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators."

Predators - Behind-the-Scenes
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- Uncle Creepy

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Slow Saturday? How about spending a little time with the Dead? That's right, kids! We've got three new clips for you from the latest Romero zombie epic, Survival of the Dead. Be warned, though ... these are a couple of really great moments so watch at your own risk of spoiling it for yourself!

Magnet will be releasing the film in the US on April 30th via VOD, XBOX Live, Playstation, and Amazon and then follow that release with a limited theatrical run on May 28th.

Like its predecessors, Romero's Survival of the Dead (reviews here and here) takes place in a desperate, nightmarish world where the dead walk the earth, relentlessly attacking the living. It is the story of Plum Island - a beautiful refuge whose isolation allows two powerful families to maintain a semblance of order in the wake of the zombie holocaust. But as the inhabitants slowly die off, the two clans become sharply divided: The O'Flynns believe that the undead must be destroyed without exception, while the Muldoons insist that afflicted loved ones be kept "alive" until a cure is found. The result is an escalating showdown with echoes of a classic Western stand-off that erupts in brutality and violence.

Survival of the Dead - Clip 1 - Flare
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Survival of the Dead - Clip 2: Try it Now
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Survival of the Dead - Clip 3: Ferry
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- Uncle Creepy

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NECA Toys is known for making its collectibles as realistic and detailed as possible. So with a new line of Freddy figures coming soon to celebrate Samuel Bayer's A Nightmare on Elm Street remake for Platinum Dunes, the question beckons ... what little parts will they be coming with that could be harmful to small children if chewed or swallowed?

Below you'll find a couple of cool images of the upcoming product courtesy of Figures.com. Unfortunately even though the pictures of the pre-burn Krueger are adorned with plastic flames, they won't be included with the finished product when it ships to stores. It will, however, ship with a charred face variant. Nice.

To see the full gallery of new images, click on the photo below.

- Uncle Creepy

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Panned by critics and moviegoers alike upon its direct-to-video release back in 2000, Bruiser never really found its audience and, ten years later, seems to have been entirely forgotten. And while I realize that I’m in the minority here, I’ve always considered this one to be a bit of an overlooked little gem. George A. Romero’s thirteenth feature as a director, Bruiser, explores themes and ideas that the director has previously mined (particularly in Martin, and the underrated Jack's Wife), but refuses to be a simple amalgamation of rehashed ideas. On the surface, it’s the story of revenge – as simple or as complex as you want to make it – but also emerges as a study of modern identity in this age of materialism.

It’s the story of Henry Creedlow (Jason Flemyng), a moderately successful businessman living what appears to be "the good life" at first glance: Married to a gorgeous wife (Nina Garbiras), working for a successful fashion magazine and enjoying the surroundings of a new and expensive home, these surface attributes of an ideal existence make it look as though Henry has it all. Below the surface, however, Creedlow is nothing more than a human floor mat. Burdened by a constantly nagging wife ("I fucked my way to the bottom." - ouch!), a thieving best friend and a power-hungry boss (Peter Stormare), Henry's life could be better. Revenge fantasies fill his head throughout his day-to-day, but it’s all bottled up until he catches his wife and boss screwing at a company cookout. Henry is plunged into a state of anonymity when he awakens the next morning - literally without a face. Now, separated from the confines of consequence (no face, no identity), Henry transforms into a murderer whose vengeance quest is the only cathartic release.

Similar to Martin, it's unclear as to whether or not the blank visage is simply a psychological hallucination on Henry's part (which would explain why the character bothers to don a blank mask over his non-existent face in the final half), or some sort of unexplainable phenomenon. Just as audiences continue debating the authenticity of Martin’s vampirism some thirty years later, Creedlow’s condition is every bit as ambiguous. And while Martin explored a dying, working-class town, Bruiser sets its sights on the mores of American society: a radio call-in program which exploits the suicide of a caller, the aforementioned assortment of sleaze ball characters and, finally, the grand finale masquerade ball which effortlessly disintegrates into a grandiose and sleazy freak show. This is vintage Romero from start to finish.

To accent the complexity of the script, Romero outfits his cast with some fantastic performances. Jason Flemyng makes Creedlow as sympathetic as he is likeable – more so once he starts exacting his revenge, while Peter Stormare may be a bit too over-the-top for some, although his character does get a solid amount of laughs as his character unleashes a whirlwind of apathetic vanity. As Stormare’s unhappy wife, Leslie Hope isn’t given much to do, but she shares good chemistry with Flemyng, allowing audiences to invest in their relationship. Of course, mention MUST be made of genre God, Tom Atkins. While Atkins has the role of (what else?) a grizzled detective searching for the 'faceless' killer, it turns out to be a memorable role in what would've surely been a thankless part in the hands of almost any other actor. In fact, the movie is worth watching if for no other reason than his delivery of the line, ”what the fuck is wrong with these people?” at the climactic costume ball.

What's refreshing and admirable about Romero’s work (all of it), is to see that he hasn’t changed much in his forty plus year career. He's never altered his underlying (occasionally heavy-handed) style for the benefit of making a film more 'accessible', and, even his missteps (like Diary of the Dead) contain enough food for thought to inspire a second viewing. Brusier isn’t perfect. The climax, while fun, fizzles out before it manages to satisfy, and I would’ve liked to have seen a little more accent on making the murder set pieces scary or brutal. The faceless visage of our main character is a wonderfully creepy image - one that’s never explored in full. However, anyone looking for a film that requires and rewards multiple viewings should give this picture a fighting chance. It doesn't necessarily demand repeat viewings but, after dusting this off earlier in the week for the first time in years, I will say that it’s aged remarkable well in this era of financial disaster and corporate greed.

As thoughtful and interesting as anything in George's canon, Bruiser isn’t an example of the director's fleeting abilities as some have proclaimed. On the contrary, it’s a showcase for Romero's surviving abilities: razor sharp wit, pitch-black humor and his knack for societal scrutiny. In short: all the things he does best. They've remained intact and, with any luck, they’ll continue to stay that way. This one isn’t perfect, but it entertains while making you think. For that alone I think this one is worthy of reappraisal.

- MattFini

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The Tribeca Film Festival has announced the first half of its 2010 slate, and while only one film is pure horror, two more are categorized as noir, and there's also a "gripping psychological drama" thrown in for good measure.

The popular fest, which is branching out to include an online element this year with Tribeca Film Festival Virtual (click here to learn more), runs from April 21 through May 2, 2010. If previous years are any indication, we can expect at least another handful of genre films to join those mentioned here when the balance of the schedule is revealed on March 15th.

Now let's take a look at the last film mentioned above first:

If much violence, many flying limbs, and geysers of gore sound like a good time to you, not to mention the opportunity to spend a little time with the original Ninja badass Shô Kosugi, then look no further as we've got your chance to win a copy of James McTeigue's Ninja Assassin on DVD.

Dread Central, in association with Warner Home Video, has two copies of Ninja Assassin (review here) to give away. To enter, just hit us off with an E-MAIL HERE that includes your FULL NAME AND MAILING ADDRESS, and we'll do the rest.

Synopsis:
Korean pop star Rain stars as heroic, deadly Raizo. Trained from childhood in the way of the Ozunu Clan ninja, he is stalked by fellow warriors for breaking free of them and their iron-willed dojo patriarch (martial arts legend Shô Kosugi) ... and is on the run with a Europol agent (Naomie Harris) who has proof the clan sells assassination services to governments. The action is start-to-finish – fast, fierce, filled with weaponry (chains, swords, staffs, shuriken) and awesome athleticism.

Fear not the weapon, but the hand that wields it.

Ninja Assassin is available on Blu-ray™, DVD, On Demand and Download March 16, 2010!

For more visit the official Ninja Assassin site here, or buy it at the WBShop!

Good luck!

- Uncle Creepy

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With the seventh entry in Lionsgate’s Saw franchise currently shooting in Toronto, Canada in preparation for its October 22, 2010 theatrical release, Dread caught up with the flick’s co-scribe Patrick Melton to chat about the film as well as the other projects he and long-time collaborator Marcus Dunstan are working on.

The prolific Melton, who along with Dunstan penned the Feast film franchise as well as Saw IV through VII and last year’s feature film The Collector (which the latter directed), weighed in on the current status of Jigsaw’s latest exploit along with his thoughts on the Oscar’s nod to the horror genre, the possibility of a sequel to The Collector, and more.

“We are about half through,” Melton told us over the phone on Wednesday of Saw VII’s principal photography. “It’s going to go into early April. We just starting shooting the traps on Monday. We always shoot those last in order to give the crew more time to build them and put them together.”

Originally slated to be helmed by David Hackl, a last-minute director change for Saw VII was issued in January, and Saw VI director Kevin Greutert (he additionally served as film editor for the bulk of the series) was contractually placed in the directorial chair, a move which forced him off Paramount’s Paranormal Activity 2. For anyone who’s read Greutert’s blog, it’s apparent he was none too pleased with the timing of that decision, as in addition to rendering him unable to helm PA2, it also placed him in the unenviable position of coming onto Saw VII merely days before the onset of filming.

“It was a very hard situation,” Melton told us, “to replace your director two weeks before the beginning of production. Kevin’s mind was in a completely other space, prepping his own movie in Paranormal (Activity) 2, and so he was getting up-to-speed as Saw VII was going into production. It’s pretty hard to wrap your brain around, ‘How am I going to shoot this next scene?’ if you’ve never even thought about it before.”

As for Greutert’s “comprehensive re-write” of Saw VII, a task (according to his post on houseofjigsaw.com) which the director apparently undertook upon his early February arrival to the Toronto set, Melton said, “He has a lot of ideas, but it’s a bit hard and extreme to implement all of these ideas because sets have been built, people have been cast, props have been bought or created, and with the Saw films they are so specific in set design because of the traps. It becomes very problematic and difficult to change things a whole bunch right in the middle of it.”

Still, Melton remains positive.

“But if anyone can do it, it’s Kevin,” said the writer. “He’s been involved in every single Saw movie, and he directed the last one so he knows the limitations of the crew and the limitations of the resources, and so he’s been able to adapt pretty quickly, and it’s looking good. Because we are playing with the idea that this may be the last Saw movie and we are trying to wrap things up, it’s made it a ton more ambitious.”

Expounded the scribe, “In this one we have bigger traps and more traps and more characters – especially characters from the past (films) – than we’ve had in probably any other Saw movie. It’s definitely the most expensive and ambitious Saw movie that we’ve done. Some of it is in response to last year’s Saw VI, which, while being the most critically acclaimed Saw film in a while, didn’t do particularly as well (at the box office) as everyone would have hoped, so we are going pretty far with this one in terms of the scale and intensity of the traps and the amount of twists, especially into the third act, which is just a plethora of twists and reveals.”

Wrapping up such a narratively-dense series, and doing so in a way satisfying to the audience, presents its own challenges as well, although Melton feels that he and Dunstan delivered.

“I can’t speak much of what the film is, but once you see it, you’ll understand that there is quite a bit of resolution (to the series). There is a place where it can go, but it’s been undecided at this point if the series will continue. If we end it with this one, then the entire franchise and story will be wrapped up in a nice pretty package.”

Given Melton and Dunstan’s long-standing involvement with the Saw series, we were interested to know as well if during the scripting process the two ever hit a creative wall. The heart of the franchise is invention, and while the pair are certainly prolific in delivering such, there’s got to come a time when the creative well begins to run dry.

“Part of it is coming up with a theme,” said Melton, “and we’ve covered a lot of things before, whether it be ice or fire or some sort of literary source, so I think it gets tricky in terms of coming up with new ideas to torture and maim. The good thing about the process is that most people who are involved (with Saw VII) have been involved the whole time so the producers and the people on set also come up with ideas or seeds of ideas. The way the traps have been executed has always been very collaborative.”

As for shooting Saw VII in 3D, which is yet another challenge director Greutert is facing, Melton tells us that the idea to do so “has been discussed since Saw V. There’s a knee-jerk reaction when a movie like Avatar makes so much money, and the studios can charge fourteen dollars a ticket as opposed to ten, so they see it as a way to make more money and to combat piracy without really thinking of if (whether or not) a film is necessarily catered to be in 3D. But people really do seem to like it, and it makes going to the theatre a little bit more of an event.”

“It can work really well, though,” Melton continued. “Marcus and I worked on My Bloody Valentine 3D, which lent itself to a sort of an over-the-top story, and it was quite conducive to the 3D experience of being fun and wild, like the five-minute naked sequence. With Saw VII, it’s more of using 3D for the visceral nature of it.”

Dread takes a moment to reflect on the longevity of 3D films as it pertains to their inherent kitsch factor, evident particularly when viewing a film in a 2D format (let’s face it, most of us aren’t partial to donning 3D glasses when watching a film in a home theater environment, regardless of Samsung’s 3D-Ready DLP hopes). Inherent to the 3D process are directorial choices which complement that dimensional format, and that is undeniably a double-edged sword, as it also forces filmmakers to approach shots in a way they decidedly would not were they shooting for a traditional presentation.

“Have you seen Jaws 3D lately? It’s dreadful,” weighed in Melton on the subject. “That locked-off shot of the shark coming towards the screen is just awful, but that was the ‘3D moment’ with the shark coming out into the audience. The whole 3D thing is tricky because on one hand it’s a gimmick, but on the other it can make the theater-going experience a bit more fun. It is a bit of an experiment with Saw VII because the Saw films are fast and sort of wildly cut, which doesn’t work all that particularly well with 3D. It’s going to be interesting in post-production to see how we strike that balance between having those 3D moments and also keeping the feel of a Saw film. If it works, it’s going to be great because it’s going to have that pace and ferocity that the Saw films have but also those fun, in-your-face moments in 3D with the traps and the blood.”

As for what the title of the seventh film in the Jigsaw franchise will be, Melton is unsure.

“I don’t even know the title of the film right now,” he said. “I’m not sure if they are going to go with Saw VII or Saw 3D or Saw 3D: Endgame or something like that. There is sort of a response people have when there’s just another number (in the title), as opposed to trying to make this one a bit more of an event.”

Still, the Saw series, whether or not Roman numerals are affixed, is easily recognizable by the movie-going public. The series’ historic box-office take is a testament to that, as was last week’s Oscar nod to the horror genre, which featured a clip of the animatronic and iconic character of "Billy" chattering away during the show’s horror montage.

“I was in the Singapore International Airport,” recalled Melton of viewing the Oscar segment, which was hosted by Twilight stars Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart, “and I wasn’t necessarily prefaced for it coming, and I watched it wondering, ‘What is this?’ And I kept wondering why they kept showing clips from (Coppola’s) Dracula and (Branagh’s) Frankenstein, which aren’t particularly well-respected horror films, just because they had stars in them or something like that, as opposed to cutting in more respected horror films from the genre. I mean they showed a clip from Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre just because Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger were in it. I thought it was cool, though, because they never give any recognition to horror, and it was a lot longer than I ever thought it would be.”

With horror still a viable and lucrative sub-genre of film, Melton and Dunstan remain busy with a multitude of projects outside of their involvement in the Saw series, and the co-scribe brought us up-to-date on a handful of them.

“We were to do this ABC show with Clive Barker that’s called 'Clive Barker’s Hotel', which we had high hopes for,” said Melton, “but I don’t think ABC is going to make it. That took up a lot of energy late last year, and we were also working briefly on Scanners [writer’s note: the project is a redux of the 1981 Cronenberg flick and is set to be produced by Dimension Films], but that is going nowhere quickly. We came in to work on the David Goyer script (of Scanners), which was really good, but I think it was a bit too expensive for them (to produce), and no one could agree on what the new version should be. So we aren’t on that anymore.”

As for what’s going on with a sequel to last summer’s horror feature The Collector (review here) (which was penned by Melton and Dunstan and helmed by the latter), Melton revealed, “I didn’t think it necessarily would happen because while the movie did well for its budget, it certainly wasn’t a blockbuster, but it did well enough that the film’s producer, Mickey Liddell, wants to make a sequel and of course wants me and Marcus to be involved again."

"So we are seeing if we can work out some sort of a deal for us to write it and for Marcus to direct, but right now it’s just in the deal stage. It is a possibility. I couldn’t imagine it being made without Marcus directing it.”

Concluded Melton, “Oh, and of course doing it in 3D has been mentioned.”

- Sean Decker

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Thanks to the power of the Internet, news now comes to us from a wide variety of sources from the trades to Facebook to Twitter to such faraway places as the India Times, according to which Joaquin Phoenix will be portraying Edgar Allan Poe in an adaptation of the book The Beautiful Cigar Girl.

India Times got the story from Oscar-winning sound recordist Resul Pookutty (Slumdog Millionaire) that he's been hired to recreate the sound textures of New York in 1854. It’s an adaptation of The Beautiful Cigar Girl by Daniel Stashower and based on an eerie real-life experience of author Edgar Allan Poe which happened just months before his death.

From EW.com comes this summary of Stashower's novel: In July 1841, Mary Rogers, a beautiful young New York cigar clerk, was strangled and her body tossed in the Hudson River, a crime so ghastly that it pitted the city's sensational tabloids against each other in a contest of rumor and speculation. Due to a bungled investigation from start to finish, the murder appealed enough to Edgar Allan Poe that he co-opted it for 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt'. Knocking back and forth between the unending case and Poe's utterly depressing life cycle of debt, poverty, and alcoholism, Daniel Stashower's 'Cigar Girl' takes a solidly comprehensive look at the predecessor to today's all-too-common media crime frenzies.

Aside from Phoenix as Poe, no other details were made available, but as soon as we hear more, we'll be sure to share.

- Uncle Creepy

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Those darn college kids and their wacky ideas for their silly papers! Something wrong with doing a thesis on things that have zero probability of getting you killed anymore? Apparently not for the protagonists in the new thriller In the Shadow.

Look for the film directed by Paul Ozcan and starring Maximilien Poullein (The Horde), Jordan Jones, and Emmanuelle Coutellier (The Zero Hour) by the end of the year. In the interim check out the teaser goods below.

Synopsis
"So as to gather pieces of evidence for their doctorate thesis, three criminology students go with a camera to the place where a notorious serial killer performed his murderous deeds. But they are about to realize that entering such a sanctuary does not come without consequences."

- Uncle Creepy

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You have to hand it to The CW. They provide more sneak peeks and clips from their shows than just about anybody else out there. And today they've rewarded their loyal viewers of The Vampire Diaries, who have been waiting several weeks for the return of their favorite series, with a new trailer for "A Few Good Men" featuring Ian Somerhalder as Damon: One Bachelor ... Slightly Damaged.

The Vampire Diaries returns from its winter hiatus on March 25th, and a brief synopsis of the ep is as follows:

Matt is shocked by the sudden reappearance of his mother (guest star Melinda Clarke). Meanwhile, Stefan and Elena are worried about Damon’s state of mind following the news he received about Katherine. Also, Damon is asked by Sheriff Forbes to take part in a fund-raising bachelor auction. Elsewhere, Alaric discovers shocking secrets from his own past.

For more visit The Vampire Diaries' official site.

- Debi Moore

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Finally the trailer for the sequel to Neil Marshall's modern horror classic The Descent, which is coming to the States on DVD courtesy of Lionsgate, has appeared online; and we have a peek at it for you.

No special features have been announced as of yet for The Descent Part 2. Look for the film here on April 27th.

Synopsis
Terror mounts as fear cuts deeper in the chilling continuation to the globally successful horror hit THE DESCENT. Traumatized, Sarah Carter (Shauna MacDonald) emerges alone from the cave system where she confronted her darkest dread. With no rational explanation to what happened, the authorities force her back into the subterranean depths to help locate her five missing girlfriends. But as the rescue party enters further uncharted domains, flashbacks start haunting Sarah as shocking memories of the past hit home. For they are venturing into the habitat of a new tribe of Crawlers, even more viciously feral than Sarah faced before.

Check out the trailer below courtesy of PopWrap.

- Uncle Creepy

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Steven Spielberg has been actively involved in the sci-fi genre for years so it’s no surprise to learn that he may be considering stepping behind the cameras for another invasion flick. This time, though, it’s not aliens that are hell bent on obliterating mankind, but killer robots.

Deadline NY raises the question whether Spielberg will direct the unfortunately titled Robopocalypse for Dreamworks or simply produce the project.

The latest title gaining steam among speculators is Robopocalypse, now that Cloverfield screenwriter Drew Goddard has been hired to adapt the Daniel H. Wilson epic about the human race's attempt to survive an apocalyptic robot uprising ["How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion"]. Wilson hasn't finished the book yet, but word is Goddard has gotten under way and that it's a serious candidate.

Spielberg isn’t quite what he used to be, but I think this could be a great project for him to prove he’s got another great film in him. As long as they change that damn title.

- MattFini

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2010 Marks horror music group Midnight Syndicate's 13th anniversary, and among the other festivities they have planned (i.e., releasing The Dead Matter movie, a soundtrack CD, and their brand new website), band members Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka are filming their very first music video for the song "Dark Legacy".

Ed Douglas recently dropped a line to let us know he's posted some pictures from the shoot on the Midnight Syndicate Facebook page, and he also provided an exclusive photo for Dread Central's readers, which you'll see below.

He told us, "We'll release this thing in early April after our debut in St. Louis, and I think folks are going to dig it! [Director] Dave [Greathouse] is REALLY good; he's come up with some cool -- and creepy -- stuff! It's kind of wild this was the first time Gavin and I have taken the stage together as Midnight Syndicate in our entire 13 years."

The video was shot over two days (March 6-7, 2010) on a combination of Digital and Super 8mm film at the old Phantasy Theatre in Lakewood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The building has a long history of hauntings reaching back into its early years, which made it the perfect location for the shoot. Midnight Syndicate also has a history with the Phantasy as it has hosted all of Midnight Syndicate's local CD release parties in the adjacent Phantasy and Chamber Night Clubs.

On hand with director David Greathouse were the incredibly talented artists at Precinct 13 Entertainment/Robert Kurtzman's Creature Corps assisted by Screamline Studios and a talented group of haunted house actors from the region. Also making appearances in the video were fellow Cleveland music legends "Schmotz" and Jeff Hatrix of Mushroomhead. Members of the Mushroomhead stage crew were also on hand to orchestrate the grand finale of the video.

For more details and info visit the official Midnight Syndicate site.

- Uncle Creepy

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The story of David DeCoteau’s THE PIT & THE PENDULUM is a little different than the one I read by Edgar Allan Poe. Actually, file that one under the “giant understatement” category. In DeCoteau’s new-to-DVD (from here! and E1) release, seven good-looking college athletes—well, really six; one is a storm chaser—come to the house of a mysterious woman who plans to push each through the pain barrier via the use of hypnosis.

The casual vampire costume-wearer has two choices when it comes to store-bought novelty vampire fangs. Option one: crafted appliances that mold to your teeth and look awesome poking over the edges of your lips. They make you sound a little funny when you talk, are never really comfortable, and are invariably stolen by some house-guest the following spring.

In the first part of this interview (see it here), author Eric Garcia recalled how his short story “The Telltale Pancreas” evolved into both a full-length novel and his own screenplay. Universal releases that film, REPO MEN, March 19, and in this concluding portion of our chat with Garcia, the scribe discusses the differences between the book and the script, and weighs in on the REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA controversy.

Are you serious about wanting to write, direct, or produce a horror film but are having trouble putting your project together? Do you feel close to getting a horror film project going but are held back by gaps in your knowledge, skills, and connections? Then the Horror Film Boot Camp could be your ticket to success!

The Horror Film Boot Camp is coming May 7-9, 2010, to Albuquerque, New Mexico. It’s the world’s only training program dedicated exclusively to horror films – in one weekend, taught by experienced filmmakers.

Instructors announced so far include:

This isn’t a lecture based class – you’ll get hands-on experience in casting, managing a crew, working with special effects and makeup, and even shooting scenes. You’ll see how the latest cameras and equipment compare. You’ll learn to create a budget, choreograph action sequences, and figure out the best recipe for blood.

For more information, including the exact topics to be covered and pricing for the weekend, visit the Horror Film Boot Camp website.

- Uncle Creepy

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Director Tim Sullivan just returned to the States from his whirlwind 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams UK Tour and has dropped some exclusive screengrabs on Dread Central ... along with a couple of pics of Sullivan with three very familiar faces.

Here's what Sullivan told us, "Here are a couple of exclusive never-before-seen screengrabs from the climax of the film (click each to see it larger) -- along with a couple of shots of me and John Landis, Andy Serkis, and Simon Pegg on the set of 'Burke and Hare', which looks fucking amazing with Landis back in full dark comedy form.

It was the utmost honor having Landis host the London premiere and then watching him do his thing on the set of 'Burke and Hare'. It truly was a full-circle moment, having met John 22 years ago when I was a production assistant on 'Coming to America'."

The UK release of 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams is July 5th. Those with all region players can pre-order the DVD or Blu-ray by clicking here.

Synopsis
When this year’s round of unsuspecting Northerners fail to show up for their annual Guts 'N Glory Jamboree, the residents of Pleasant Valley take their cannibalistic carnival on the road and head to Iowa, where they encounter spoiled heiresses Rome and Tina Sheraton and the cast and crew of their “Road Rascals” reality show. Performing “The Bloodiest Show on Earth”, our Southern Maniacs prove more than ratings killers in what John Landis has called “one of the rare sequels that surpasses the original”.

Tim also promised he'd have some major news regarding the US release and premiere very shortly so keep it here, and stay tuned for further updates at the official 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams Facebook page!

- Uncle Creepy

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It looks like David Fincher's idea of creating an animated anthology film based on science fiction/fantasy magazine Heavy Metal is coming closer to fruition, and with names like James Cameron and Zack Snyder attached to it, it's no wonder why.

According to Deadline New York Fincher's version will consist of eight or nine individual animated segments, each by a different director, all of them infused with the spirit of the erotic and violent storylines that defined the magazine. [Along with Cameron and Snyder] Fincher is directing one himself. And, oh yeah, the whole thing will be 3D animation.

Back when Nomad was on the set of Rob Zombie's Halloween 2, producer Andy Gould mentioned there had been a brief discussion about Rob's possible involvement in Heavy Metal (read that story here), but things had gotten quiet. We have to say Zombie would probably be a good fit, but since the project is still in search of both financing and distribution, there's no telling when things will start happening and who else will be tapped to direct the segments.

Keep it here for more as it comes.

- Uncle Creepy

VISIT THE EVILSHOP @ AMAZON!
Got news? Click here to submit it!
Animate yourself in the Dread Central forums!