*Updated* If you’re feeling less than enthusiastic about heading outside during these dog days of summer, at least there are a lot of intriguing horror and sci-fi VOD and Digital releases coming our way this August that will surely keep you busy and out of the reach of the relentless summertime heat.
On August 2nd, the psychological thriller Sun Choke, co-starring Barbara Crampton and Sarah Hagen, debuts courtesy of XLrator Media and just a few days later, Joe Begos’ The Mind’s Eye makes its way to VOD to give viewers a mind-blowing fun time. Also arriving on August 5th is Let’s Be Evil from IFC Midnight, and on August 16th, Epic Pictures Group is throwing a Killer Party complete with a zombie apocalypse.
Other notable VOD genre releases for August 2016 include Summer Camp, The Suffering, Hell Town, and The Neon Demon.
Feed the Devil (Uncork’d Entertainment) – August 2nd
Given a map to marijuana planted in the remote wilderness of Alaska, Marcus and his girlfriend Stella head off on an expedition to cut down the crop and make easy money. The mission quickly turns deadly when Stella vanishes and the quest to find her uncovers a trail of victims tied to an ancient Indian myth. The search becomes a lethal game of survival when they are hunted down by the demonic beast behind the legend.
Written by Perrier and Matthew Altman, Feed the Devil stars Jared Cohn, Ardis Barrow, Victoria Curtain, Brandon Perrault, Nahka Bertrand, Tyson Houseman and Marco Collin.
Summer Camp (Lionsgate) – August 2nd
An unseen terror strikes in this heart-pounding thriller about a group of counselors who desperately need to escape their camp before they’re all infected by a mysterious virus.
The Suffering (Breaking Glass Pictures) – August 2nd
Henry Dawles is at a cross roads in life. With a diminished bank account and a baby on the way with his estranged wife, his personal life in shambles. When Mr. Remiel, an elderly shut in, offers Henry a lucrative sum to appraise his rural estate, he accepts without hesitation. What follows is a harrowing exploration of mind and madness. When Henry closes in on the lands’ dark truth, Remiel’s eccentric behavior takes a menacing and unforgettable turn.
Sun Choke (XLrator Media) – August 2nd
As Janie recovers from a violent psychotic break, she’s subjected each day to a bizarre holistic health and wellness regimen designed, and enforced, by her lifelong nanny and caretaker. But when she develops an obsession with a stranger, Janie’s buried demons begin to surface.
Let’s Be Evil (IFC Midnight) – August 5th
In LET’S BE EVIL, three chaperones are hired to supervise an advanced learning program for gifted children, who wear Augmented Reality Glasses to assist in their education. Contained within a secure, underground facility, events quickly spiral out of control.
LET'S BE EVIL was written by Martin Owen with story by Elizabeth Morris and Owen, based on an original idea by Jonathan Willis. The film stars Elizabeth Morris (L.A. SLASHER), Elliot James Langridge, Kara Tointon (MR. SELFRIDGE) and Isabelle Allen (LES MISERABLES) and was produced by Jonathan Willis.
The Mind’s Eye (RLJ Entertainment) – August 5th
Zack Connors and Rachel Meadows were born with incredible psychokinetic capabilities. When word of their supernatural talents gets out, they find themselves the prisoners of Michael Slovak, a deranged doctor intent on harvesting their powers. After a daring escape, they are free from his sinister institution, but the corrupt doctor will stop at nothing to track them down so that he may continue to siphon their gifts for his own use.
Killer Party (Epic Pictures Group) – August 16th
A group of clueless friends become trapped at a baby shower, when a sudden zombie apocalypse threatens their lives. Waiting for help to arrive, it soon becomes clear that no one is coming, and the group will have to use their limited urban survival skills to fight their way to freedom.
Lake Nowhere (BrinkVision) – August 16th
LAKE NOWHERE traces the familiar tale of a group of friends who arrive at a desolate lakeside cabin only to be stalked and murdered by a “masked maniac.” This age-old tale of senseless slaughter quickly spirals into the realm of supernatural horror and classic monster movies, as we learn the true power that lies within LAKE NOWHERE.
The film stars Laura Hajek, Wray Villanova, Nathan Andrew Wright, Oscar Allen, Melody Kology, Paul Gagnon, Charles Gaskins, and Matthew Howk as the “Masked Maniac.”
The Purgation (Osiris Entertainment) – August 16th
Ever since she was a little girl, Iris has aspired to be a filmmaker. For the last five years though, she’s been stuck in television, directing episodes for an investigative series that’s barely able to compete with “Ghost Hunters.” Iris sees her big chance to prove herself when her boss sends her on assignment to her hometown of Black Falls, a town harboring an abandoned insane asylum with a dark history of excessive shock therapy.
Filming inside the asylum brings back childhood memories for Iris – memories of sneaking into the Black Falls Asylum to shoot homemade horror movies with her friends. Little does she know, her life is about to imitate her art.
Hell Town (Gravitas Ventures) – August 23rd
Hell Town follows the melodramatic antics of high school seniors clashing over love, sex and betrayal. In the middle of all the everyday drama of one-sided infatuations, backstabbing bitchiness, bottled-up sexuality, sibling rivalry and general small-town angst, the Letter Jacket Killer is killing students in a variety of sadistic ways. As the body count rises, and the blood pools closer to home, it becomes clear that one of our main characters is the killer. Everyone - from the prom queen and shirtless jock to the nosey geek and the super bitch - are all suspects in the carnage.
The Neon Demon (Broad Green Pictures) – August 30th
When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will use any means necessary to get what she has.
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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