In today's Horror Highlights, we have details on Australia's Monster Fest Travelling Sideshow (which will feature a wide variety of horror films, including Raw), a video of Christian Serratos walking through The Walking Dead attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, and release details for Don't Kill It, Peelers, and Zombie Cats From Mars.
The Monster Fest Traveling Sideshow: Press Release: Monster Fest, Australia’s premier genre film festival celebrating cult, horror and the fantastic, returns for its seventh edition November 22-26, 2017 at the Lido Cinemas in Melbourne, mounted with the support of Screen Australia. These dates include the festival’s industry component, The Swinburne University Media and Communication Monster Academy, which will kick off the festival November 22 and 23.
Submissions are now open for Features, Short Films and Expanded Cinema Projects, with an Early Bird Deadline of April 21, a Regular Deadline of June 16 and a final, Extended Deadline of August 4, 2017.
Founded in 2011, Monster Fest is a genre film festival that showcases films and events that fall into the broadly-defined categories of horror, science fiction, action, crime, noir, animation, dark drama, black comedy, gothic western, erotica and more. Its programming is a mix of Premieres, international festival favourites, challenging new discoveries and curated repertory sidebars alongside industry-focused events such as panels and masterclasses with renowned international guests, and a special emphasis on supporting emerging Australian genre film talent through the festival and beyond.
“We had a huge increase in submissions in 2016,” says Festival Director Kier-La Janisse. “And it really diversified our approach to programming. In addition to horror, which is always a staple at Monster Fest, we brought in more crime films, westerns, documentary and animation than ever before, and our audience really went with it - we ended up having our most successful year to date.”
Submissions for Monster Fest 2017 can be processed via Film Freeway or Without a Box. Details and submission guidelines are available at www.monsterfest.com.au/submit
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What’s more, Sydney-based genre fans will get a taste of Monster Pictures’ annual Melbourne-based festival this March, thanks to a unique partnership with Australia’s largest cinema chain Event Cinemas to present The Monster Fest Travelling Sideshow, beginning at the prestigious George Street Cinema in Sydney March 9-11, 2017 with subsequent dates in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
The Monster Fest Travelling Sideshow will be a mix of horror-centric highlights from Monster Fest 2016 (see the archive of 2016 films and events HERE) and select premieres, including the Australian Premieres of Jordan Peele’s acclaimed racial horror GET OUT and the highly-anticipated all-female horror anthology XX (which is distributed in ANZ by Monster Fest parent company Monster Pictures), as well as the World Premiere of Nik Kacevski’s Sydney-made SKINFORD, with cast and crew in person for a hometown red carpet debut.
The 10-film touring satellite event will open on March 9th with the Sydney Premiere of Julia Ducournau’s controversial “Golden Monster”-winning feature debut RAW, about a young vegetarian whose dark urges are awakened after she is forced to undergo a carnivorous college hazing ritual. The fright-filled weekend will also include the hometown premiere of Sydney-made KILLING GROUND (fresh off raves at Sundance), Ben Wheatley’s explosively funny shootout actioner FREE FIRE, a new 4K restoration of Italo-horror maestro Dario Argento’s 1977 masterpiece SUSPIRIA, Sydney director Jai Love’s moving and morbid documentary DEAD HANDS DIG DEEP about the traumatized frontman of extreme metal band Kettle Cadaver, Nicholas Pesce’s gothic Sundance midnighter THE EYES OF MY MOTHER (which Rolling Stone called “curdled Americana at its most gruesome and brilliant”) and André Øvredal’s award-winning THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE, recently praised by none other than Stephen King himself, who called it “visceral horror to rival ALIEN and early Cronenberg” and warned: “Watch it, but not alone.”
Monster Fest Director Kier-La Janisse says the Sydney weekender will be just the first of many ‘Monster Fest Presents’ events to be mounted by Monster Pictures over the coming year. “This touring sidebar is an incredibly exciting initiative for us,” she says. “It’s always been Monster Pictures’ goal to bring the most pioneering and challenging new genre cinema to fans all over the country, and to create a wider platform for its appreciation.”
Tickets for The Monster Fest Travelling Sideshow are on sale now at:
Event Cinemas George Street
http://www.monsterfest.com.au/events/monster-fest-travelling-sideshow
Single Session Tickets: Adult $21 / Concession $17.50
5 Film Multi-Pass: Adult $82.50 / Concession $71.50
10 Film VIP Pass: Adult $132 / Concession $110"
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Watch Christian Serratos at The Walking Dead Attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood: "Christian Serratos walks through The Walking Dead Attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood. Just guess…how many times does she scream?
Universal Studios Hollywood has unlocked the iconic “Don’t’ Open, Dead Inside” doors to usher in its all-new “The Walking Dead” permanent daytime attraction, based on AMC’s top-rated television series and the most-watched show in cable television history. This newly enhanced venture takes the highly sought-after experience from a seasonal, limited time offering to an exciting 365-day opportunity, raising the bar for themed walk-through attractions. To ensure authenticity of the attraction, Universal Studios Hollywood partnered with “The Walking Dead’s” creative team, including Greg Nicotero and KNB Efx to develop prosthetics, utilize original molds and painstakingly apply paint and detailing to attraction walkers. The integral involvement of the creative team not only inspires the emotional connection fans experience, it is among the attraction’s key distinguishing characteristics that define it as a living representation of the show.
Coupled with authentic walker make-up effects, sophisticated animatronic walkers, substantially more detailed set design and costuming, and highly recognizable props replicated from the series, “The Walking Dead” attraction delivers an uncompromised realistic environment that brings guests even further into the most-watched show in cable television history. “The Walking Dead” attraction is located within an entirely new, custom-built structure, situated within an expansive building complex just inside the theme park’s main entry. Due to the intense nature of this experience, the attraction is not recommended for guests under the age of 13."
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Don't Kill It Release Details: Don't Kill It will be released in select theaters and on VOD by Archstone Distribution beginning Friday, March 3rd.
"An ancient evil is unleashed in a small Mississippi town leaving a trail of death and destruction as it passes from host to host. The only hope of survival lies with a grizzled demon hunter (Dolph Lundgren) who has faced this terror before. Together with a reluctant FBI agent (Kristina Klebe) he has to figure out how to destroy a demon with the ability to possess its killer.
DON'T KILL IT is directed and edited by Mike Mendez, and written by Dan Berk and Robert Olson. Produced by Scott Martin, Robert Yocum, and Michael Thomas Slifkin. Cinematography by Jan-Michael Losada."
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Peelers Trailer & Poster: Press Release: "From Sevé Schelenz, director of Skew, comes the gooey, gory instant classic Peelers premiering on VOD this March.
Wren Walker, Caz Odin Darko and Madison J. Loos star in “a pretty damn fun trip” (Dread Central) that ‘’any horror fan is going to love from start to finish” (HEAVY Magazine).
Former baseball player Blue Jean Douglas is closing down her small-town strip club and leaving for good. But her plans are not so easily attained when a group of coal miners show up and with them a deadly contaminant. What starts out as a last hurrah for the infamous strip club, turns into a blood bath. With time running out, Blue Jean must step up to the plate to try and put a stop to the spread of destruction before it’s too late and she loses everything she holds dear.
Peelers, directed by Sevé Schelenz and written by Lisa DeVita, available On Demand March 28 from Uncork’d Entertainment."
NSFW Trailer:
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Zombie Cats From Mars Release Details: Press Release: "Back Aisle Video, a new distribution company specializing in indie B-Movie horror, exploitation, and sleaze films is proud to announce their first title, Zombie Cats From Mars!
Synopsis: The story centers on Billy, an effeminate fan of vintage science fiction action thrillers. His only friend is Cameron, a nerdy film buff who tries to boost his confidence whenever he can. After seeing a UFO land, Billy retreats into his head, imagining that aliens are taking over the town. Cameron is skeptical, as is the rest of the town. Meanwhile, people are starting to die. First, the reclusive cat lady, Percis, is discovered mutilated by Lester, the church going husband of Carolyn, Percis's depressed caretaker. Random deaths soon follow, first a jogger, and then a janitor at the Carbonics Warehouse. A pair of news reporters share this information with the public while the Detective and his Chief try to solve the killings. Meanwhile, the killings continue. Billy, wrapped up in a world of fiction, discovers a story in which Martian Cats land on Earth and inflict horror upon the town. Confident that the killings are the result of the UFO delivering alien cats, he sets off on his own ...
The film is directed by Montetré and written by Ryan Cloutier. Cast includes: Bransen Sands Koehler, Benni Harper, Janae' Werner.
The Blu-Ray and DVD will be available on Valentine's Day exclusively at www.backaislevideo.com and will head to Amazon on February 28th, with a wide VOD release in the Spring."
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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