October is finally upon us which means horror and sci-fi fans have a lot to be looking forward to, especially when it comes to the films hitting VOD this month as there numerous highly anticipated choices arriving on various platforms throughout the month, including Tales of Halloween, Deathgasm, Gravy, Knock Knock, The Final Girls, A Christmas Horror Story, Bone Tomahawk, and one of my own most anticipated films of 2015, Tokyo Tribe from visionary filmmaker Shion Sono.
Here’s a look at all the genre titles arriving on VOD this October!
A Christmas Horror Story (RLJ Entertainment) - October 2nd
Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, peace and goodwill. But for some folks in the small town of Bailey Downs, it turns into something much less festive. When Krampus - the anti-Santa who punishes the naughty children - is summoned by a young boy, everyone’s fight for survival begins.
Deathgasm (Dark Sky Films) - October 2nd
High School is Hell! Metal-thrashing Brodie is an outcast in a sea of jocks and cheerleaders until he meets a kindred spirit in fellow metalhead Zakk. After starting their own band, Brodie and Zakk’s resentment of the suburban wasteland leads them to a mysterious piece of sheet music said to grant Ultimate Power to whoever plays it. But the music also summons an ancient evil entity known as Aeloth The Blind One, who threatens to tear apart existence itself. Their classmates and family become inhabited by demonic forces, tearing out their own eyes and turning into psychotic murderers… and this is only the beginning!
Narcopolis (IFC Midnight)- October 2nd
Set in a future where all drugs are legal, this dazzling techno-thriller combines high-octane action with high-concept science fiction. While investigating a grisly overdose death, hard-boiled cop Frank Grieves (Elliot Cowan) gets drawn into a deadly conspiracy involving a lethal new super-drug and a shadowy mega-corporation. Conjuring a stunningly realized universe in which gritty violence unfolds in a sleek digital dystopia, Narcopolis is a propulsive, visually explosive head-trip.
Shark Lake (Screen Media) - October 2nd
Fiercely protective single-mom Meredith Hendricks happens to also be the best cop in her quiet town on Lake Tahoe. When a black-market exotic species dealer named Clint, is paroled from prison, something he let loose begins to make its presence known. Swimmers and land-lovers alike begin to become part of the food chain at an unbelievable rate. Meredith and the new man in her life, a biologist named Peter, begin to investigate these brutal attacks and discover that they're not just hunting one eating machine, but a whole family of them. After a documentary crew is devoured when they don't take the threat seriously, it's up to Meredith, Peter, and the unlikely hero, Clint, to stop the most dangerous thing on the planet: A mother protecting its young. Not everyone will make it out alive, but those who do will never forget this summer at Shark Lake.
The Anomaly (Anchor Bay Entertainment) - October 6th
Traumatized ex-soldier Reeve (Clarke) wakes up in the back of a moving van alongside a young boy (Parkinson) held prisoner. But after helping the boy escape, he comes to the terrifying conclusion that he’s the kidnapper. Even more startling, five years have passed since he was last awake. Ryan soon learns that he’s caught up in a futuristic conspiracy known as “Anomaly.” Ryan’s only connection with reality is the dogged pursuit of Ryan by the elegant but sinister Harkin Langham (Somerhalder), who –when he’s not trying to kill Ryan – explains how to survive his blackouts, lasting exactly 9 minutes and 47 seconds.
As he negotiates switching between parallel universes, Ryan teams up with the mysterious “Dana” (Knapp) to start unraveling the life-threatening mystery in which he’s the explosive center. With Harkin dogging and thwarting his every turn, Ryan must summon all his will to challenge his programmed destiny and regain his humanity.
Children of the Night (Artsploitation Films) - October 6th
A secluded colony of child vampires come under attack from vengeful villagers in this darkly funny horror tale by Argentinean filmmaker Ivan Noel. A journalist visits a secluded orphanage where children suffer from an unknown skin disease. She soon learns that they are in fact not children, but vampires aging from 4 to 120 years old who have been bitten at an early age and forever remain in that physical state. They are led and protected by a strange and deeply religious ex-nurse whose destiny in life is to find these “lost souls” and raise them in her sanctuary. Through religious teachings, nocturnal rituals, and the occasional visit to local towns for fresh human blood, she keeps them safe – that is, until a cultish band of men from a nearby village plot to destroy the refuge. Now the children, headed by the 90-year-old grandson of Count Dracula, must defend their way of life.
Gravy (Scream Factory) - October 6th
It’s Halloween night. A trio of costumed misfits with very special dietary requirements seizes a Mexican cantina and forces the staff to engage in a late night of gluttony. The only caveat is what’s on the menu…and who will survive ‘til morning! This deliriously demented horror-comedy is a true feast for genre fans. Stuffed with an outstanding ensemble cast and perfectly seasoned with laughs and scares, you’ll be sure to ask for seconds on Gravy.
Directed by James Roday (Psych) and written by Roday and Todd Harthan (Psych, Dominion), GRAVY boasts an all-star ensemble cast of Michael Weston (State of Play, Garden State), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, House of Cards), Sutton Foster (Younger, Bunheads), Lily Cole (Snow White and the Huntsman), Molly Ephraim (Last Man Standing), Paul Rodriguez (Ali), Gabriel Luna (True Detective, Wicked City), Lothaire Bluteau (Vikings, The Tudor), Ethan Sandler (The Bourne Supremacy, Crossing Jordan) Dule Hill (Ballers, Psych), with Gabourey Sidibe (Empire, Precious) and Sarah Silverman (Wreck-It Ralph).
Manson Family Vacation (The Orchard) - October 6th
Written and directed by newcomer J. Davis, MANSON FAMILY VACATION takes two very different siblings on a road trip that tests the limits of brotherly love. From The Duplass Brothers, the film features Jay Duplass, Linas Phillips, Tobin Bell (Jigsaw from the “Saw” movies), Leonora Pitts and Davie-Blue.
A man’s comfortable life in Los Angeles is disrupted when his estranged brother comes to town to visit the infamous Manson Family murder sites. Together, the brothers journey from the Hollywood Hills to the Mojave Desert, and into the modern-day world of Charles Manson.
The Final Girls (Stage 6 Films/Vertical Entertainment) - October 9th
When Max (Taissa Farmiga) and her friends reluctantly attend an anniversary screening of “Camp Bloodbath,” the infamous ‘80s horror film that starred Max’s late mother (Malin Akerman), they are mysteriously sucked into the silver screen. They soon realize they are trapped inside the cult classic movie and must team up with the fictional and ill-fated camp counselors, including Max’s mom as the scream queen, to battle the film’s machete-wielding killer. With the body count rising in scene after iconic scene, who will be the final girls left standing and live to escape this film?
THE FINAL GIRLS is a genre-blending horror comedy also starring Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat with Alexander Ludwig and Nina Dobrev.
Knock Knock (Lionsgate) - October 9th
When a devoted husband and father is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse.
A sexy new thriller from director Eli Roth, KNOCK KNOCK stars Keanu Reeves as the family man who falls into temptation and Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas as the seductresses who wreak havoc upon his life, turning a married man’s dark fantasy into his worst nightmare.
The Inhabitants (Gravitas Ventures) - October 13th
Written and directed by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen, screenwriters of JOHN CARPENTER'S THE WARD, and produced by international bestselling author Glenn Cooper, THE INHABITANTS revolves around a young couple that gets more than they bargained for when they renovate a neglected bed and breakfast in New England. After a series of disturbing events, the husband begins to suspect that something evil is lurking within the walls of this old house, and whatever it is has set its sights on his wife. Now he must fight to uncover the inn's dark secret before this malicious spirit consumes everything he loves.
Scarewaves (Camp Motion Pictures) - October 13th
In his final night as a radio host, shock jock Amos Satan spins four spine-tingling tales of terror in this anthology of urban legends inspired by Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt. In “Worth the Wait” an accomplice to murder and larceny struggles for her sanity. In “Office Case” a corrupt former cop is haunted by his past. In “Painting after Midnight” an artist goes to devilish lengths for fame. And “Fair Scare” proves there is no honor amongst thieves.
The Diabolical (XLRator Media) - October 16th
When a single mother (Ali Larter) and her two young children are tormented by an increasingly strange and intense presence in their quiet suburban home, she turns to her scientist boyfriend to take on the violent forces that paranormal experts are too frightened to face.
Tales of Halloween (Epic Pictures) - October 16th
Ten stories from horror's top directors. Ghosts, ghouls, monsters, and the devil delight in terrorizing unsuspecting residents of a suburban neighborhood on Halloween night. This creepy anthology combines classic Halloween tales with the stuff of nightmares.
Re-Kill (After Dark Films) - October 16th
It’s been 5 years since the outbreak that wiped out 85% of the world’s population, but the war between Re-Animates (Re-Ans) and Humans wages on. Most of the major cities are still uninhabitable. Within the few surviving cities, the Re-Ans have been segregated into “zones” and are policed by the R-Division of the QUASI S.W.A.T. Unit who hunt to re-kill the Re-Ans in the hope of quelling a second outbreak.
Murder in the Dark (After Dark Films) - October 16th
When a group of young people camping in the ruins of a medieval Turkish town play a party game called 'Murder in the Dark', they soon discover that someone is taking the game too far...' Produced in an experimental shooting style, this murder-mystery features a cast of actors who were not allowed to see the script. The actors' choices interactively changed the shape of the story. They had to use clues to solve the mystery laid out before them by the filmmakers.
The Wicked Within (After Dark Films) - October 16th
When a little girl dies, her family gathers to mourn the loss. Yet the pain is not forgotten and a vengeful demon spirit takes possession of a vulnerable family member tearing at the ties that bind them all together. One by one, it forces each family member to confess to their buried lies and face the morbid consequences of their sins.
Lumberjack Man (After Dark Films) - October 16th
As the staff of Good Friends Church Camp prepares for a spring break filled with "Fun Under the Son", a demon logger rises from his sap boiler to wreak his vengeance and feast on flapjacks soaked in the blood of his victims.
Suspension (After Dark Films) - October 16th
Emily is a high-school student with a penchant for drawing gruesome pictures in her sketchbook. There's a reason for her obsession with horrific images: Her father Tom once went on a murder spree and is now residing in a mental hospital. On a night she's home alone babysitting her mute little brother, Tom escapes and targets Emily and her friends during a bloody killing rampage.
Unnatural (After Dark Films) - October 16th
A morally ambiguous corporation experiments with genetic modification resulting in the creation of a man hunting creature. When it escapes, a group of unsuspecting cabin dwellers become its prey in a horrifying game of cat and mouse.
Bastard (After Dark Films) - October 16th
Five strangers - newlywed serial killers, a suicidal cop, and two runaways - become suspect and victim when a masked murderer makes its presence known in an isolated mountain town.
Wind Walkers (After Dark Films) - October 16th
A U.S. solider returns from captivity to find that his friend and fellow former POW has gone AWOL. While out on an annual hunting trip with his friend’s father and some extended family his group comes under attack by an ancient Native American curse that has mysterious connections to his friends Native heritage and the prison in which they were held.
I Spit on Your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine (Anchor Bay Entertainment) - October 20th
Jennifer Hills (Sarah Butler) is still tormented by the brutal sexual assault she endured years ago (I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2010). She’s changed identities and cities, reluctantly joining a support group where she begins to piece together a new life. But when her new friend’s murderer goes free and the tales of serial rapists haunt her, Jennifer will hunt down the men responsible and do what the system won’t – make them pay for their crimes in the most horrific ways imaginable. Only this time, no jury may be able to save her. Jennifer Landon, Doug McKeon, and Gabriel Hogan co-star in this unforgiving, unmerciful and uncut new chapter of one of the most notorious franchises in movie history.
Bone Tomahawk (RLJ Entertainment) - October 23rd
When a group of cannibal savages kidnaps settlers from the small town of Bright Hope, an unlikely team of gunslingers, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), sets out to bring them home. But their enemy is more ruthless than anyone could have imagined, putting their mission – and survival itself – in serious jeopardy. Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, Tombstone) leads an all-star cast, including Patrick Wilson (Insidious), Matthew Fox (“Lost”) and Richard Jenkins (The Cabin in the Woods) in this gritty, action-packed thriller chronicling a terrifying rescue mission in the Old West.
Tokyo Tribe (XLRator Media) - October 23rd
In a futuristic Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. When one of the gang leaders breaks the fragile peace, it triggers a brutal street war for supremacy. Based on a popular Manga series and told almost entirely in rap verse, TOKYO TRIBE is an ingenious mash-up of Yakuza gang violence, martial arts action and hip-hop musical.