New horror brand Alter, in association with DIGA Studios and POD 3, has teamed up to release a new anthology series called 50 States of Fright which explores the country's urban legends. Directed and co-written by Sam Raimi, the cast includes Taissa Farmiga, Christina Ricci, and Rachel Brosnahan, just to name a few. Also: FrightFest's Halloween event details, The Fan's debut of Blu-ray, and production and release details announced for Necropolis: Legion.
50 States of Fright Release Details: "Quibi, Gunpowder & Sky’s new horror brand, ALTER, that explores the human condition through warped perspectives, along with DIGA Studios and POD 3 announced today that Rachel Brosnahan, Travis Fimmel, Christina Ricci, Jacob Batalon, Ming-Na Wen, Taissa Farmiga, Asa Butterfield, John Marshall Jones, and Ron Livingston will each star in an episode of the upcoming horror anthology series, “50 States of Fright.” The first season of “50 States of Fright” will explore stories based on urban legends from Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon and Washington taking viewers deeper into the horrors that lurk just beneath the surface of our country.
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Travis Fimmel (“Vikings”, Warcraft: The Beginning) and John Marshall Jones (The Last Revolutionary, “Rectify”) are set to star in “The Golden Arm” based on a famous urban legend out of Michigan, co-written by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Army of Darkness, The Evil Dead) and Ivan Raimi (Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell, Darkman) and directed by Sam Raimi.
Christina Ricci (“Monster,” “Z: The Beginning of Everything”) and Jacob Batalon (Spiderman: Homecoming, Spiderman: Far From Home) will play lead roles in “Red Rum,” which follows the storyline of Colorado’s scariest story.
Ming-Na Wen (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” “The Mandalorian”) is signed on to star in “America’s Largest Ball of Twine,” based on Kansas myth.
Taissa Farmiga (The Nun, “American Horror Story”) and Ron Livingston (“Loudermilk,” “A Million Little Things”) are set to co-star in “Almost There,” Iowa’s frightening folklore, which will be written and directed by Iowa natives Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, Haunt).
Asa Butterfield (“Sex Education”, “Hugo”) is cast as the male lead in “Grey Cloud Island” a chilling tale from Minnesota.
“The driving force for us as a studio is to foster the careers of emerging talent by marrying them with proven innovators,” said Van Toffler, CEO, Gunpowder & Sky. “With ‘50 States of Fright’ we sought out a diverse group of breakthrough performers and fearless horror visionaries and partnered them with Sam Raimi to oversee the creative process. This winning formula ensures we’ll get a s-load of scares.”
The following is the complete list of writers and directors:
“GOLDEN ARM” – MICHIGAN - Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Army of Darkness, The Evil Dead): to direct and co-write with Ivan Raimi (Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell, Darkman): to co-write
“ALMOST THERE” – IOWA - Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (A Quiet Place, Haunt): to write and direct
“AMERICA’S LARGEST BALL OF TWINE” – KANSAS - Yoko Okumura (“Facets,” Fed Up, Only the Young): to direct
“13 STEPS TO HELL” – WASHINGTON - Sarah Conradt-Kroehler (Out of Her Mind): to write and Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground): to direct
“AMERICA’S LARGEST BALL OF TWINE” – KANSAS - Mae Catt (“TRANSFORMERS: CYBERVERSE”): to write
“RED RUM” – COLORADO - Isa Mazzei (CAM) & Daniel Goldhaber (CAM): to write and Goldhaber: to direct
“DOGWOOD – AZALEA” – MISSOURI - Cate Devaney (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil, Dr. Strange): to write and direct
“SANTERIA” – FLORIDA - Greg Hale (Avengers, Iron Man, The Day After Tomorrow, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2) and Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project, “Queen of the South”, “Supernatural”): to write and Alejandro Brugués (Juan of the Dead, Nightmare Cinema): to write and direct
“SCARED STIFF” – OREGON - Ryan Spindell (Two Sentence Horror Series): to write and direct
“GREY CLOUD ISLAND” – MINNESOTA - Adam Schindler (Intruders, Delivery: The Beast Within) and Brian Netto (Delivery: The Beast Within): to write and direct
Series to be executive produced by Sam Raimi and Debbie Liebling (“Pen 15,” Plus One) through POD 3, Van Toffler, Tony DiSanto, Cody Zwieg, Barry Barclay, Tommy Coriale and Chris Mangano."
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FrightFest's All-Day Halloween Event Details: "Arrow Video FrightFest continues on its highly acclaimed and hugely successful Twenty Bloody Year rampage with a fear-packed journey through Halloween traditions, religious deviance, unstoppable maniacs, warped fairy tales, terrifying board games and the very rules of horror themselves.
The popular Halloween all-day event returns to the Cineworld Leicester Square on Saturday 2 November and the 12-hour monstrous marathon embraces four UK premieres, one European and one International premiere.
The day kicks off with the European Premiere of Josh Hasty’s CANDY CORN. With an impressive all-star genre cast (including Tony Todd, who exec-produces), an innovative iconic killer and cool score, say hello to a new twist on a Halloween tradition
This is followed by an 80s throwback horror comedy, WE SUMMON THE DARKNESS. From Marc Meyers, director of My Friend Dahmer, this UK premiere delivers gore and guffaws with gleefully twisted abandon.
Next up is the International premiere of UNCANNY ANNIE, directed by Paul Davis, who gave us the fabulous documentary Beware The Moon: Remembering ‘American Werewolf In London’ This dice-throwing game of death and survival kicks off the second season of Hulu’s Blumhouse-produced series Into The Dark and Paul will be introducing the film.
Then there is the UK Premiere of SWALLOW, a warped fairy tale, posing provocative questions about the expectations imposed on women and the psychologically damaging effects of patriarchal culture. Anchored by Haley Bennett's knockout performance, this bold and atmospheric film marks the feature directorial debut of Carlo Mirabella-Davis.
The 8.30 pm film is the UK premiere of TRICK, from Patrick Lussier, director of Drive Angry and the My Bloody Valentine remake. This surprising slasher delivers graphic shock aftershock.
The finale presentation is SCARE PACKAGE which introduces us to the next generation of horror directors, Each of the eight talented filmmakers has selected a different horror sub-genre, taking aim at the tropes and overused clichés we find all too often in horror films.
Plus, we’ll be showing THE HAUNTED SWORDSMAN, the latest in acclaimed puppeteer Kevin McTurk’s Spirit Cabinet series. Corin Hardy, who backed the hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, will be joining us to introduce the acclaimed short.
Alan Jones, FrightFest co-director, said today: “Get your knives out, your chainsaws revved up and your machetes raised as FrightFest, the UK’s biggest and best genre event returns to the Cineworld Leicester Square on Saturday, November 2 for a morning of mayhem, an afternoon of anguish and an evening of evil in a day of the dead extravaganza. Happy Halloween everyone!”
FULL LINE UP:
11.00: CANDY CORN (European Premiere)
Day passes (£47) and single tickets (£14.50) go on sale at noon on Saturday 5th October.
Director: Josh Hasty. With: Courtney Gains, PJ Soles, Tony Todd, Sky Elobar. USA 2019. 85 mins.
Synopsis: It’s Halloween in Grove Hill, Ohio. A traveling carnival arrives for the weekend and local outcast, Jacob Atkins, is hired as one of the freaks in the main attraction, ‘Dr. Death’s Side Show Spook House Spectacular’. But the local bullies are planning their annual public hazing of Jacob, only this year things go too far, a monster hungry for blood is created by one of the carnies … and revenge never tasted so sweet.
12:45 WE SUMMON THE DARKNESS (UK Premiere)
Director: Marc Meyers. With: Alexandra Daddario, Logan Miller, Keean Johnson, Johnny Knoxville. USA 2019. 87 mins
Synopsis: Be careful what you pray for! It's 1988 and people are terrorised by a nationwide rash of apparently satanic murders, which appear to be connected to kids who go to heavy metal concerts. Three girls meet three guys at one such gig and go back to Alexis' family's country house for a debauched after-party. There the boys learn to their horror that the girls are not the enthusiastic rock fans they seem to be, but something much more terrifying.
PLUS….THE HAUNTED SWORDSMAN (UK Premiere)
Director: Kevin McTurk. With: Jason Scott Lee, James Hong. USA 2019. 16 mins.
Synopsis: Kevin McTurk’s handcrafted epic puppet film, follows a Ronin samurai (Jason Scott Lee) on a supernatural quest for vengeance with only a severed head (James Hong) as his guide.
15:15 UNCANNY ANNIE (International Premiere)
Director: Paul Davis. With: Georgie Flores, Adelaide Kane, Paige McGhee, Jacques Colimon, Dylan Arnold, and Evan Bittencourt. USA 2019. 80 mins
Synopsis: On Halloween night, a group of college students gets trapped in a mysterious board game that brings their darkest secrets and fears to life, where they must play to escape…and win to survive.
18:15 SWALLOW (UK Premiere)
Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis. With: Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Denis O’Hare. USA 2019. 94 mins.
Synopsis: Hunter is a newly pregnant woman whose idyllic existence takes an alarming turn when she develops a compulsion to eat dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she is forced to confront the dark secret behind her uncontrollable obsession.
20:30 TRICK (UK Premiere)
Director: Patrick Lussier. With: Omar Epps, Kristina Reyes, Ellen Adair, Tom Atkins. USA 2019. 97 mins.
Synopsis: Halloween night in Benton, New Jersey, 2015, and the student they call Trick suddenly freaks out and causes a bloody massacre. Injured by his friend Cheryl, Trick is taken to hospital but miraculously escapes…. and every October 31st returns to cause further murderous mayhem. Detective Mike Denver promises to bring the seemingly unstoppable killer to justice – a vow that begins to border on obsession as he becomes convinced they are dealing with a supernatural entity.
22:45 SCARE PACKAGE (UK Premiere)
Directors: Courtney Andujar, Hillary Andujar, Anthony Cousins, Mali Elfman, Emily Hagins, Aaron B. Koontz, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan, Ryan Spindell, Baron Vaughn. With: Gabrielle Maiden, Baron Vaughn, Noah Segan, Tristan Riggs. USA 2019. 103 mins.
Synopsis: Chad Buckley is a lonely horror aficionado spending his days at his struggling video store, where he argues with his only regular customer, Sam. When Hawn, an unsuspecting applicant, shows up, Chad teaches him about the Rules of Horror, much to Sam’s chagrin, illustrated by different hilarious horror shorts, each one geared at cleverly subverting a unique set of terror tropes. As Hawn learns the ropes, he suspects Chad of something sinister, while he too may have a secret of his own.
For full programme details: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/
To book: http://www.frightfest.co.uk/tickets.html
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Scream Factory Releases The Fan on Blu-ray: "Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall (The Big Sleep) and Michael Biehn (The Terminator) tear up the screen in the edge-of-your-seat thriller, The Fan, coming to Blu-ray from Scream Factory on November 19th. The release gets the star treatment from Scream, bearing new interviews with actor Michael Biehn, director Edward Bianchi, and editor Alan Heim, and a new audio commentary with cult film director David DeCoteau and film historian David Del Valle, moderated by Scream Factory marketing director Jeff Nelson.
Sally Ross (Bacall) is a renowned Broadway star, glamorous celebrity, and the object of adoration for countless admirers. But among all the loving little people lurks a young man (Biehn) whose devotion teeters on the edge of madness. His impassioned letters to her are initially a source of pleasure, but as he attempts to realize his ultimate fantasy – and is met with rejection – the stakes are raised to terrifying heights … which might bring on the final curtain for Sally.
Also starring James Garner, Maureen Stapleton, and Hector Elizondo, The Fan is a twisted tale of fame and obsession you’ll never forget.
The Fan Bonus Features
· NEW Number One Fan – an interview with actor Michael Biehn
· NEW Fan Service – an interview with director Edward Bianchi
· NEW Fanning the Flames – an interview with editor Alan Heim
· NEW Audio Commentary with cult film director David DeCoteau and film historian David Del Valle, moderated by Scream Factory marketing director Jeff Nelson
· Theatrical Trailer
· TV Spots
· Still Gallery
About Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform media company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer, and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s entertainment offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast entertainment distribution network that delivers culturally relevant programming, movie and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America and across multiple platforms. Shout! Factory owns and operates Shout! Studios, Scream Factory, Shout! Factory Kids, Shout! Factory Films, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Timeless Media Group and Shout! Factory TV. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention. Shout! Factory is based in Los Angeles, California.
For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com."
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Necropolis: Legion Production and Release Details: "Veteran composer signs on to upcoming horror thriller. Legendary film composer Richard Band has signed on to create the original score for director Chris Alexander's upcoming DEADLY TEN feature film NECROPOLIS: LEGION. With hundreds of credits under his belt, Band is perhaps best known for his sophisticated, symphonic scores for horror and fantasy films like MUTANT, RE-ANIMATOR, FROM BEYOND, PIT AND THE PENDULUM, PUPPET MASTER and PARASITE.
Written by Brockton McKinney from a story by Alexander, NECROPOLIS: LEGION is a psychedelic, Gothic re-imagining of the 1986 Empire Pictures exploitation movie classic and tells the tale of the malevolent vampire sorceress Eva (Ali Chappell), whose sexually-charged midnight rituals are interrupted when her vengeful husband (Joseph Lopez) murders her, sending her soul to the netherworld. Years later, when occult writer Lisa (Augie Duke from the acclaimed drama TRAUMA IS A TIME MACHINE) moves into the same haunted farm where Eva was executed, she begins having vivid, perverse dreams and slowly, surely, Eva's spirit begins taking over the young woman's mind, using her body as a vessel to return to earth and take Lisa as her unholy bride.
NECROPOLIS: LEGION is a Full Moon Features film, produced in association with Rabidog Films. The movie is currently in post-production and will have its world premiere on Amazon Prime and Full Moon Features on November 18th. A Blu-ray/DVD release will follow later in 2020.
Go to www.DeadlyTen.com for more on the film and the other motion pictures on the upcoming D10 Full Moon slate."
Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.
The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).
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