They collaborated creatively through multiple decades, creating cinematic magic on the screen that still resonates with horror fans today. As far as one-two punches go when it comes to directors and composers, Lucio Fulci and Fabio Frizzi pack a huge wallop, and in the years since Fulci's passing in 1996, Frizzi has kept the spirit of Fulci's movies alive through his music, including recent live performances of his scores, two of which will take place on October 29th and the 30th at the New York City's Music Hall of Williamsburg. Ahead of the anticipated shows, I had the honor of catching up with Frizzi for our latest Q&A to talk about the joys of performing live, collaborating with Fulci, The Beyond Composer's Cut, and more.
Social media can be a real time killer in everyday life, but in the new movie Friend Request, it kills more than just time, thanks to a supernatural social outcast who seeks vengeance on a group of tight-knit college classmates (suffice it to say that there are some people you should never unfriend). With the new horror film now out in US theaters from Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, I had the pleasure of catching up with co-writer/director Simon Verhoeven for our latest Q&A to discuss how he came up with the idea for the film, exploring a supernatural subconscious of the Internet, mixing ancient rituals with new technology, and much more.
Social media outlets like Facebook are supposed to bring people together, but anyone who has an online account nowadays knows that isn’t always the case, and it especially isn’t true for a college student named Marina (Liesl Ahlers) in Friend Request, a new horror film featuring witchcraft, disturbing visions, and face-eating wasps. But perhaps the most haunting thing of all is the number lurking under the friends tab on Marina’s page: “0.”
You'd think it would be difficult to empathize with someone who uses Facebook to destroy people's lives in gruesome ways, but Liesl Ahlers absolutely pulls it off in Friend Request.
Going off the beaten path on vacation can be a picturesque experience, but it can be a perilous one as well. An American couple accidentally disturbs a deadly spirit in Thailand in the new horror film Ghost House, and with the supernatural thriller out now in select theaters from Vertical Entertainment and on DVD and VOD platforms from Lionsgate, Daily Dead caught up with director Rich Ragsdale to discuss filming in Thailand, the presence of ghosts on set, and working with Scout Taylor-Compton and James Landry Hébert.
If you've read my work on Daily Dead or listened to my ramblings on the Corpse Club podcast, then you might be aware of my deep love for Dance of the Dead, Gregg Bishop's midnight movie masterpiece that blended prom, zombies, and the music of Pat Benatar (via a great cover) into one of the most memorable rentals I ever enjoyed from Blockbuster. When I saw that Joe Ballarini, the screenwriter of Dance of the Dead, had written a new book (for children and adults) called A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting, I knew that I had to talk with him about it, and I recently had the great pleasure of doing just that.
Out of all the places I visited at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, the most memorable was the screening of the Channel Zero: No-End House premiere episode. The way the series has lingered in my mind makes me think that I haven't truly left the house since first seeing it... making me even more eager for the new season to premiere on the SYFY channel beginning Wednesday, September 20th. To help hold me over until then, I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Channel Zero showrunner Nick Antosca about the psychological scares of the suburban-set second season, and we've also been provided with an exclusive clip from No-End House to share with Daily Dead readers.
This past summer was a memorable one for fans of Konami's video game franchise Castlevania. In addition to the release of a new four-episode animated series adaptation of the video games on Netflix, the streaming service also renewed the series for an eight-episode second season, and viewers of the show were treated to a story that took an R-rated approach to violence and a bold path with its storytelling. One of the creative forces behind the new series is Adi Shankar (executive producer of films such as Dredd and The Grey) and I had the opportunity to talk with the filmmaker about collaborating with Sam Deats and Warren Ellis, the freedom of working with Netflix, and much more.
Ahmanet awakens today with the release of The Mummy (2017) on Blu-ray, DVD, 4K Ultra HD, and VOD platforms from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, and for our latest Q&A, I had the chance to catch up with Yianni-Georgiou, one of the artists behind the amazing makeup of The Mummy, to discuss bringing the undead to life (including Sofia Boutella's title character) and looking back at the classic Universal Monsters films for stylistic inspirations.
In the chaotic carnage of the apocalypse, can enemies come together to outlive the living dead? We'll find out when Madison opens the gates of Broke Jaw Ranch to The Nation, and with the mid-season 3 premiere episode airing September 10th on AMC, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Dave Erickson about the back half of his final season as Fear The Walking Dead showrunner (he'll be busy developing another series for AMC), including the deepening divide between Madison and her children, tense times at Broke Jaw Ranch, and the aftereffects of a critical kill.
One of my all-time favorite movie scenes is when John Candy walks through the house party in Uncle Buck while Young MC's "Bust a Move" is blasting out of the speakers, so it was an absolute thrill for me to catch up with Young MC himself, Marvin Young, to discuss his directorial debut Justice Served, a new "what if?" horror thriller that co-stars Lance Henriksen and is out now on DVD and VOD from Breaking Glass Pictures.
Even the most beautiful and exotic locations can be home to the most hellish horrors on Earth. That's what a real estate team discovers the hard way when they descend into a World War II bunker in Gehenna: Where Death Lives, and with the new horror film enjoying a well-received film festival run, we caught up with director Hiroshi Katagiri and executive producer Saik Meng Kee for our latest Q&A feature to discuss funding the movie on Kickstarter, working with the legendary Lance Henriksen and Doug Jones, and a chance encounter with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre cinematographer Daniel Pearl during filming on the island of Tinian.
Being a mom during the holidays can make Santa Claus' job look like a holly jolly cakewalk. As the head of a dysfunctional family in Craig Anderson's Red Christmas, Dee Wallace not only has to worry about keeping the peace, she also has to try to keep her family members in one piece when a killer crashes their festivities. With the holiday horror film out now in select theaters, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Wallace about her multifaceted new role, and we also had the chance to reflect on her amazing film career, including the legacy of Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and her experience playing Cynthia Strode in Rob Zombie's Halloween.
The last time we caught up with composer Giona Ostinelli, he discussed his intriguing collaborations with Mickey Keating, and after the release of Carnage Park last summer, Ostinelli has kept busy creating unnerving music for Spike's The Mist TV series. Daily Dead had the pleasure of touching base with Giona once again for our latest Q&A to discuss conjuring creepy chords for the Stephen King adaptation.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of when viewers first heard the soul-stirring chords of "Cry Little Sister," the theme song for The Lost Boys. Created by musician Gerard McMahon, aka G Tom Mac, the song has become synonymous with Joel Schumacher's 1987 film and is still an anthem for those who have ever empathized with the movie's creatures of the night.
