The Halloween Girl - Short Film Review - Mad Shelley Films

Love Never Forgets. She Never Forgets.

The film opens with three boys tossing around a football. We meet Luke (Nicholas Zoto) and his friends Billy (Liam Barnett) and Dom (Michael Dostillio). The acting in this opening scene is not particularly good. But it's just a brief scene and the acting in the film does improve. After Luke takes a ribbing from his friends for his lack of skills of catching and throwing a football, his friends depart and Luke takes a seat on a swing where he meets Charlotte (Catherine Kustra). They talk briefly before Luke seems to feel a bit uncomfortable and excuses himself, to head home.

Luke tells his mother, Marie (Christine Parker) about his new friend, Charlotte. After he mentions her name and refers to her as Halloween Girl, his mother is visibly shaken. Marie later confides in her friend, Karen (Carol Anne Raffa), that Luke had a sister named Charlotte who was killed by a drunk driver, years ago. Marie says that she has been on her mind a lot lately and how odd it was that Luke just met a girl with the same name. Marie soon sees something shocking while driving and also receives a message.

Just who is Charlotte and is she really Luke's friend or does she have an ulterior motive? You will have to watch the film to find out.

"The Halloween Girl" was an interesting, 18 minute short film and I don't want to say too much, so I don't spoil anything. It does have a catchy song that pops up a few times throughout. Take a look at the trailer via a link below and see if this is something you might like. You can rent it an extremely low price, or buy a copy. So, please consider one of those options and help support the independent film scene.

"The Halloween Girl" was written and directed by Richard T. Wilson. 


Visit the Mad Shelley Films website to watch the trailer and for more information. 

Visit the films Facebook page for information on how to rent or purchase a digital copy of the film. 

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Experience Life as Both Vampire and Werewolf in the New Comic, Mary Moon

How would life be as a vampire? a werewolf? How about both?

"Mary Moon" is the new comic from creator David Segarra of Black Mirror Comics. It focuses on the titular character, Mary Moon who was attacked by a vampire and a werewolf. Mary now finds herself cursed as each! She must deal with the horrors of her dual existence  while hoping to find a cure.

A strange discovery in Egypt leads to further exploration for upcoming archaeologist Mary Moon. Her travels took her to Transylvania where she intended to prove correlation between vampires and mummies. Her life, personally and professionally each at a peak were tragically altered and interrupted when she was simultaneously attacked by a vampire and a werewolf. Double cursed as each, Mary must deal with the horrors of her dual existence while hoping to find a cure...

Visit marymoon.net to order Issue #1 of this new comic or learn more about it.

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Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death coming to Blu-ray from 88 Films

These Women Are Serious About Their Taste In Men!

88 Films will be releasing the campy 1989 horror action comedy mashup, "Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death" to Blu-ray on January 11, 2016. The film was directed by J.F. Lawton and stars Shannon Tweed ("Night Eyes II," "Of Unknown Origin"), Adrienne Barbeau ("The Fog," "Swamp Thing"), Karen Mistal ("Return of the Killer Tomatoes!", Barry Primus ("SpaceCamp") and Bill Maher ("Politically Incorrect").

Synopsis:

To avoid a serious avocado shortage, the U.S. government hires feminist anthropology professor Margo Hunt (Shannon Tweed) to find the man-eating Piranha Women tribe who inhabit the avocado jungle of Southern California. Assisted by chauvinist Jim (Bill Maher) and a dim-witted student named Bunny, Hunt must convince the tribe to move to Malibu condos while simultaneously fending off her rival Dr. Kurtz (Adrienne Barbeau). Meanwhile, Bunny's contemplating joining the Piranha gals -- but she must consume Jim first....

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Full Moon Trailer Park
• Trailer

TECHNICAL SPECS

Region Code: B
Picture Format: HD 1.78:1 1080p
Audio Format: LPCM 2.0
Language: English
Certification: 12
Running Time: 90 Mins Approx

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Angelic Wolves - Film Review - Dark Libra Films

PERHAPS ANGELS AND WEREWOLVES ARE ONE AND THE SAME

The indie, short horror film, "Angelic Wolves" opens with a young girl enjoying the nice day while walking through Hillcrest Forest. Eve (Anna Crysell) spots something odd in the distance, a man sprawled out on the limb of a tree. We get a glimpse of something she's unable to see from her vantage point, the man has furry, clawed hands. In the blink of an eye, the figure disappears and suddenly the man reappears behind Eve. After a brief introduction, Eve learns that Johnny (Braeden Baade) is no ordinary man. 

Johnny seems very eager to divulge his secrets to Eve, which he does. We also learn a little about the grim reaper, which I assume might be the being we hear toward the end of the film talking to a man named Evan (CJ Forst) who is about to undergo something unpleasant. But before that we get to see Johnny display his superior strength when he deals with someone intending to cause harm to the forest that he protects. After the scene involving Evan, the film ends abruptly with many questions remaining. 

I found myself wondering, what exactly did I just watch? There is a TV mini-series listed online so I am not sure if one leads in to the other or how exactly they are related. "Angelic Wolves" was obviously made on the cheap, which is made clear once you see the special effects. As for the acting in the film, Anna Crysell did a fair job playing the part of Eve. I did not find Braeden Baade particularly good as Johnny. The lines mostly came off without a natural feel. It was very evident that he was 'acting.' CJ Forst in a limited role as Evan, did an adequate job. 

The black and white nature of the film did help set the mood, a little. The film was made to look slightly beat up with scratches added. I found the contrast to be a bit too high for my taste, with white skin tones having a blown out appearance at times. But perhaps that was the intention, to give the film an otherworldly, unnatural feeling. What "Angelic Wolves" had going for it was an interesting sounding mythos and it would be nice to learn more about it. If low budget indie horror is your thing, check out the short film. The 25 minutes went by pretty fast and it's always nice to support independent filmmakers. 

Follow "Angelic Wolves" on Twitter.

You can visit Amazon below to rent or own a digital copy of the film.

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The Gods of War - TV show based on Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter coming in 2016

New TV series, described as "STAR WARS" meets "MAD MAX," in production from Pacific Coast Entertainment

Pacific Coast Entertainment will develop and produce a television series based on their upcoming science-fiction film, "Rogue Warrior: Robot Fighter." Tentatively titled "The Gods of War," the series will see Tracey Birdsall reprising her role from the film. No other actors are currently attached.

The series, described as a cross between "Star Wars" and "Mad Max," is set in the distant future depicting the struggles of humanity forced to merge with machine intelligence. First season will consist of 6-8 episodes, with production due to begin in 2016.

Producer Neil Johnson says "Gods of War" will “be a story-driven epic series similar to the "Game of Thrones" model. We look to shoot primarily in the US, but it’s expected there’ll be some additional photography in other countries”.

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Sci-fi thriller Nightmare Code coming to VOD and DVD

Winner of the Philip K. Dick Film Festival Award 2015

Witness the first movie told from the point of view of artificial intelligence with the award winning "Nightmare Code," available on digital September 29, 2015 and DVD October 27, 2015 from Indie Rights.

Winner of the 2015 Philip K.Dick Science Fiction Film Festival Award, writer-director Mark Netter’s NIGHTMARE CODE is “stylish and intelligent” (Horror Asylum) and a “Heir to 2001” (Sensitive Skin).

Brett Desmond, a genius programmer with a troubled past is called in to finish a topsecret behavior recognition program, ROPER, after the previous Lead Programmer went insane. But the deeper Brett delves into the code, the more his own behavior begins changing…in increasingly terrifying ways.

Suspense builds with surveillance, PC, and eyeglass cameras – often with four images onscreen at once…as if ROPER itself is telling the story.

Andrew J. West ("The Walking Dead"), Mei Melancon ("X-Men: The Last Stand") and Googy Gress ("Apollo 13") star.

Read our review of "Nightmare Code."

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Pernicious - Film Review - Benetone Films

Evil Never Dies. It Waits.

"Pernicious" is about three beautiful girls who travel to Thailand to teach English for the summer. They waste little time before they are partying with some guys they just met. Following their night of fun, the girls wake up confused and restless, having had nightmares of heinous events involving their new friends. They discover that the golden statue that was in their house, is now missing, presumed to be stolen by their new friends. 

The film is based on Thai folklore. It felt like a, "Hostel" meets typical scary girl from J-horror, mashup. That doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad thing. The trio of girls learn that the thing behind the nightmares and what follows, is the angry spirit of Vanida, an eight year old girl who was sacrificed by her family, many years ago. Vanida has now discovered a way to exact her revenge and that is what she plans to do.

It is only a matter of time before things go downhill and the young ladies dreams of a fun and exciting summer, become a real nightmare. Once most of the story is revealed, the body count, albeit small, starts to rise. Things do not go very well for the girls and they should have just stayed home. But that is almost always the case in horror films. The story overall was not bad. I think the pacing could have used some help. If the deaths in the beginning could have occurred a little farther apart, I think that would have helped stretch the action. The same applies to the end of the film as well. "Pernicious" does feature some decent looking practical effects, especially early on in the film. The blood at times, mainly when it is done heavily flowing, often looks like red water on the characters skin. It does look fairly good though while it is flowing from a sliced throat or gaping wound. 

The film made great use of sound and sound effects. However, they were a bit heavy handed at times, with some things sounding a bit too squishy or like the sound of someone unsheathing a weapon playing while we are watching a person licking a knife. Somewhat minor things, but they can make a difference to some viewers. I thought the main actresses Emily O'Brien (Julia), Ciara Hanna (Alex) and Jackie Moore (Rachel) all did a fine job in their roles. I do wish we had an opportunity to get to know them more as I didn't really connect to them. I feel as though I am really panning the film and that is not my intention. I am just trying to point out where I think some improvements could have been made. The film featured a few jump-scares and a couple moments that make you wince with phantom pain due to what is happening to a character.

If horror fans watch "Pernicious" and give it a chance, I think they can find enough about it, to enjoy the film to some degree. I have seen much better and I have also seen much worse. So for me, this falls somewhere in the middle. If you look at the career of the young director and co-writer, James Cullen Bressack you will see, he is one busy man. Really, click the link in his name and take a look at the number of films and also the number of jobs he has fulfilled in making those films. He's young and obviously ambitious, so he could have a very long career ahead of him. Perhaps if he is given the opportunity to make a film with a larger studio, we'll get to see what he can really do.


RATING: 2.5 / 5


After thrilling audiences in theaters and On Demand earlier this Summer, James Cullen Bressack's bone-chilling horror hit "Pernicious" makes it way to DVD. The title will be exclusive to Redbox on September 8, 2015 and will be available elsewhere on September 29, 2015.

For more information on "Pernicious" visit the official website.
You can also follow the film on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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Scream Factory reveals artwork and release dates for The Car and The Garbage Pail Kids Movie

Scream Factory has revealed the cover art for two of their upcoming Blu-ray releases, "The Car" and "The Garbage Pail Kids Movie."

Fasten your seat belts for the terrifying thrill ride that has become a cult classic! 1977's "The Car" will be coming to Blu-ray in the U.S. & North America for the first time on December 15th, 2015. 

With this official street date announce also comes the reveal of our newly-designed key art (which you see here). For bizarre legal reasons, we are not able to use the original domestic or international theatrical poster art on our release which is why a new creative spin was put into place. We think the results are so good though (and hope you agree) that we are offering a free limited-edition poster of the art with purchase if you pre-order directly through us at the Scream Factory website.

We are planning a few new extras and they will be announced sometime in November.

Your favorite grime bandits come to life with all the farts, snot and vomit you can take in this hilarious film full of gross-out humor. Based on the wildly popular and irreverent trading cards, "The Garbage Pail Kids® Movie" stars Mackenzie Astin ("Iron Will," "Wyatt Earp") as a perfectly nice teenager who discovers the Kids...to his great disgust!

Our new Collector's Edition Blu-ray streets December 8, 2015. If you pre-order it now directly from the Scream Factory website, you'll receive a FREE limited edition 18" x 24" poster of the newly-created key art (which you see here - illustrated by Nathan Thomas Milliner). 

The cover is reversible and will sport the original theatrical poster key art. Extras are in progress and all of them will be revealed before Halloween so stay tuned!

A pack of cigarettes, a video game, a pick-up truck and a stately colonial home all become key elements in four terrifying tales of terror in the anthology film, "Nightmares," directed by Joseph Sargent ("The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" and "White Lightning")

"Nightmares" will be released on Blu-ray, just in time for Christmas on December 22, 2015. Extras will be announced sometime in November.

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Scream Factory reveals extras for The Larry Fessenden Collection

Scream Factory has announced the extras for their upcoming Blu-ray release of The Larry Fessenden Collection.

Four tales of terror from multi-talented filmmaker Larry Fessenden will street on October 20, 2015. All of the films will be released in high definition for the first time! The Blu-ray collection comes with tons of extras including new and vintage interviews, commentaries, short films, music videos and more. "The Larry Fessenden Collection" is sure to have something to please horror fans.

• 24-Page Booklet with liner notes by Fangoria’s Michael Gingold, featuring never-before-seen photos, storyboards and sketches.

No Telling
• NEW director-approved HD Transfer
• NEW audio commentary with writer/director/executive producer Larry Fessenden
• Making of No Telling (1991)
• Archival footage (1990)
• Short Film White Trash (1979) with new music by composer Will Bates
• Glass Eye Pix Sizzle Reel (1985-1990)

Habit
• NEW director-approved HD Transfer
• NEW audio commentary with actor/director/writer/editor Larry Fessenden
• The Making of Habit featurette (1995)
• Short film Habit (1981) (20 minutes)
• The Making of short film Habit (1981)
• Save You from Yourself music video
• Theatrical trailer
• Short film N is for Nexus, from Magnet Releasing’s The ABCs of Death 2
• The Making of N is for Nexus
• Frankenstein Cannot Be Stopped music video

Wendigo
• NEW director-approved HD Transfer
• NEW audio commentary with writer/director/editor Larry Fessenden
• NEW audio commentary with actors Patricia Clarkson, Jake Weber and John Speredakos
• Search for the Wendigo – Behind the Scenes featurette (2001)
• Interview with Larry Fessenden (2001)
• WENDIGO: animated series trailer
• Short Film Santa Claws (2008)
• Theatrical trailer
• Glass Eye Pix Sizzle Reel (2010)

The Last Winter
• Audio commentary with co-writer/director/producer/editor Larry Fessenden
• The Making of “The Last Winter” – full-length documentary featuring deleted scenes
• Archival footage (2005)
• Short film Jebediah
• Short film Origins
• Short film Mister
• Tired of Killing Myself music video
• NEW 2015 interview with Larry Fessenden
• Glass Eye Pix Sizzle Reel (2014)


SPECIAL SCREAM FACTORY SITE OFFER: Pre-order now directly through us at the Scream/Shout Factory website and the first 300 copies will be signed by Mr. Fessenden himself!

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Bruno Mattei's 'Women's Prison Massacre' Coming to Blu-ray from Scream Factory

THE KILLING NEVER STOPS...

Scream Factory has announced a December 8th, 2015 release date for Bruno Mattei's 1983 grindhouse film, "Women's Prison Massacre."

Master of exploitation Bruno Mattei ("Cruel Jaws," "Rats: Night of Terror") hauls his unique cinematic stylings to the slammer in "Women's Prison Massacre!" Sultry reporter Emanuelle (Laura Gemser) is on the verge of breaking a big story about a corrupt politician when she gets framed and sent to a women's prison. There, incarcerated women face unspeakable cruelty and inhumane conditions — and that's before a quartet of dangerous men are temporarily transferred to the facility! When the felonious four overpower the guards and take over, it's up to Emanuelle and her fellow inmates to retake control of the prison — and their very lives.

Featuring Mattei's signature flourishes and a script co-written by Claudio Fragasso (the visionary behind "Troll 2" and "Beyond Darkness"), "Women's Prison Massacre" is a brutal and uncompromising entry in one of cinema's most infamous genres.

At this time it doesn't sound like there will be any special features included except possibly a trailer. But the film is said to be uncut. So that is a huge plus.

You can pre-order the Blu-ray from the Shout Factory website where they ship two weeks prior to release date. 

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'Nightmares in a Damaged Brain' Coming to Blu-ray and DVD from 88 Films

If you were terrified by "Dawn of the Dead" & "Friday the 13th" you must see Nightmare

***UPDATED - Sept. 24th ***

88 Films posted an update on their upcoming release.

"Our first announcement is actually an apology. We have had to put Nightmare in a Damaged Brain back a few weeks as we have been trying to obtain a sample of a newly created answer print scan.

This finally came through today and it looks fantastic so we've decided to go ahead and make a NEW HD Master. This will be done very soon and we will be able to give a firm final release date in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you for your patience and we really hope you like the new transfer."



Few slasher classics have proven to be more controversial than Romano Scavolini's sicko slice 'em up epic horror film, "Nightmares in a Damaged Brain!"

Finally unleashed in the UK, uncut and uncensored, for the first time since VHS (back when the distributor of this bloodthirsty "Halloween" cash-in was imprisoned for 18 months just for daring to unleash it!), "Nightmares in a Damaged Brain" depicts the slow mental burn down of an escaped psychopath as he hacks his way through New York's 42nd Street, horny teenagers and random suburban housewives! But there is more to his rampage than meets the eye, as a shocking final twist reveals!

Featuring enough Freudian-fermentation to appease horror academics, and packing in more plasma splashed set pieces than any of its rivals, "Nightmares in a Damaged Brain" is advised only for the strongest of stomachs! One thing is for sure though - this is the Slasher Classic you horror fans have all been craving for, remastered and restored from the original in-camera elements!

"Nightmares in a Damaged Brain" is part of 88 Films 'Slasher Classics Collection' and is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2015.  


SPECIAL FEATURES

• Terror in Times Square - A Guide to Nightmare's Grindhouse Kingdom
• Audio Commentary with The Hysteria Continues
• Audio Commentary by Bill Paul
• Interview with Tom Ward, CEO of 21st Century Films
• Trailer
• TV Spots
• Reversible Cover
• More TBC

TECHNICAL SPECS

• Region Code: Free
• Picture Format: HD 1.78:1
• Audio Format: LPCM Mono
• Language: English
• Certification: 18
• Running Time: 99 Mins Approx

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Zombie High, The Dungeonmaster, Eliminators and The Brain That Wouldn't Die coming to Blu-ray from Scream Factory

Scream Factory Announced Some New Titles Coming to Blu-ray in December

ZOMBIE HIGH (1987) - Virginia Madsen ("Candyman") and Richard Cox ("Cruising") star in this humorous horror film about the bizarre happenings that occur in a prestigious boarding school. The film features a great supporting cast including Sherilyn Fenn ("Twin Peaks"), Scott Coffey ("Mullholland Drive") and Paul Feig, who would go on to create the TV series "Freaks And Geeks" and direct such films as "Spy," "Bridesmaids" and the 2016 remake of "Ghostbusters." 

The Blu-ray is scheduled to be released on December 15, 2015. You can pre-order "Zombie High" from the Shout Factory website and receive it two weeks early.

THE DUNGEONMASTER / ELIMINATORS (Double Feature) -
In "The Dungeonmaster" (1985) Paul, a young computer ace, is forced to pit his physical and mental skills against unimaginable odds when a hulking wizard looking for formidable opponents picks Paul as his next challenger. Paul faces a series of seven spectacular and death-defying challenges and must survive not only to save his life but that of his girlfriend's too! Jeffrey Byron ("Metalstorm: The Destruction Of Jared-Syn") and Richard Moll ("Night Court") star in this eye-popping thriller featuring an appearance by W.A.S.P.!

This version of the film is Unrated and different from the PG-13 version shown theatrically. It includes an additional scene with some nudity. Parental Discretion is advised.

"Eliminators" (1986) A mandroid – part man and part machine – seeks revenge on the evil scientist who created him. Enlisting the help of a beautiful woman and a mysterious ninja, he pursues the scientist in hopes of stopping him before he can be further harm to humanity. Andrew Prine ("Grizzly") and Denise Crosby ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") star. All-new High-Definition Transfer.

The release date for the double feature Blu-ray is December 15, 2015. You can pre-order this release from Shout Factory and receive it two weeks early.

THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE (1962) - When Dr. Bill Cortner loses his sweetheart, Jan, in a car accident, he refuses to give up hope for her life. Scooping up her decapitated head, he brings it back to the lab for resuscitation. But keeping her head alive is one thing – finding her a new body is quite another. So while the mad doctor is out looking for spare parts, she's stuck at home going out of her mind – literally! And nothing will stop her from getting revenge on the man who is keeping her as a trophy girlfriend! All-new HD transfer. 

The release date for the Blu-ray is December 22, 2015. You can pre-order it from the Shout Factory website and receive it two weeks early.

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'Grizzly' is Clawing Its Way to Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing

18 Feet of Gut-Crunching, Man Eating Terror!

Screen Archives Entertainment has the 1976 killer bear movie "Grizzly," available for pre-order on Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing. The Blu-ray is scheduled for a late-September release. 

This post-Jaws, nature-runs-rampant thriller was directed by William Girdler ("Day of the Animals," The Manitou"). The film stars Christopher George ("Graduation Day"), Andrew Prine ("The Lords of Salem"), Richard Jaeckel ("Day of the Animals") and Joan McCall ("Devil Times Five").  

Synopsis:

When an eighteen-foot, two-thousand-pound grizzly bear starts mauling campers and hikers at a state park, a park ranger (Christopher George) springs into action. But the job is too big to tackle alone, so he enlists the aid of a naturalist (Richard Jaeckel) and a helicopter pilot (Andrew Prine) to take this freak of nature down. Meanwhile, the giant grizzly, not content with picnic baskets, continues to kill indiscriminately, leaving pools of blood and piles of body parts in his wake. Can the ranger and his cronies end the grizzly’s reign of terror without resorting to excessively extreme measures? 


SPECIAL FEATURES

• 16 x 9 Widescreen (2:40)
• Watch in either unfiltered master or DVNRed master
• Fun Facts and Trivia segment with your hostess
• Brand New 5.1 Surround sound, created from the films original three stripe Mag.
• Isolated ME track
• JAWS WITH CLAWS, featurette with producer David Sheldon, writer Harvey Flaxman, actors Joan McCall and Andrew Prine
• New Beverly Screening Q & A with Andrew Prine
• Original Trailers

To pre-order the Blu-ray of "Grizzly," visit Screen Archives Entertainment.

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